Approved Research
Understanding how dissociation relates to health and mental health.
Lay summary
Different types of mental health disorders are placed into categories according to the collection of symptoms which people experience. There are common mental health disorders, such as depression and anxiety, which most people have heard about and likely know someone who has them or even have experienced these themselves. However, there are also more rare mental health disorders which affect only about 1-3% of people. These disorders are often known as serious mental disorders because their presentations are complex and difficult to treat. One example is dissociative disorders.
People with dissociative disorders experience shifts in their awareness of themselves and the world around them. This can mean losing track of their own identity, time, and, how they experience the world around them. These experiences are highly distressing and are likely caused by multiple complex and interacting factors. Some people with dissociative disorders will also have other mental health disorders, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia and depression. Dissociative disorders are difficult to treat; the symptoms can make taking part in talking therapies challenging. However, when a second diagnosis is also present, gaining positive responses to treatment is even more difficult. If we had a better understanding of the profile of people who experience dissociation both alone and with other mental health disorders, we would be better placed to provide effective and targeted treatment.
We are seeking to access the UK Biobank for 3 years to consider the overlap between dissociative disorders and other mental health disorders. Even though dissociative disorders are rare, the UK Biobank makes it possible to examine large numbers of patients. Secondly, the UK Biobank has individuals interviewed by clinicians, which means we can be reasonably certain in the accuracy of diagnoses. Finally, the UK Biobank has an extensive number of possible clinical outcomes, lifestyle factors and historical experiences. We will compare three groups, people with: 1. dissociative disorders alone; 2. other mental health disorders; or, 3. dissociative disorders and another mental health disorder. We will examine how these groups of patients differ in the seriousness of their experiences, the constellation of symptoms they experience, the efficiency of their thinking, health and lifestyle factors, and trauma. It is hoped that by having a better understanding of dissociative disorders alone or alongside another mental health disorder, we would be well placed to identify those most at risk and who may benefit from additional treatment.