Child Abuse and Dissociative Identity Disorder/Multiple Personality Disorder: The Documentation of Childhood Maltreatment and the Corroboration of Symptoms

Abstract

There is a consensus in the literature that early, severe maltreatment antedates dissociative identity disorder/multiple personality disorder (DID/MPD). Most data on maltreatment, however, are gathered retrospectively from the patient only. This article presents the cases of six violent, incarcerated men with DID/MPD. It documents from records and family interviews their childhood and adult dissociative symptoms and signs and their abusive childhood experiences.