Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behaviour Therapy in an Adolescent with Mixed-Dissociative Disorder: A Case Study

Abstract

Dissociation is a psychopathological condition with a range of alterations or changes in the normally integrated mental functions such as identity, consciousness, or memory and can manifest in various types such as depersonalization, trance states, derealisation, dissociative amnesia, and dissociative identity disorder (Waller et al., 1996). From an etiological perspective, past experience of trauma plays a major role as a precipitating factor in dissociation, wherein dissociation is conceptualized as a reaction to trauma as a way to distance oneself from the traumatic situation and events related to it (Lanius et al., 2015). Initially understood as a coping mechanism, the persistent manifestation of dissociation hinders the overall psychological functioning and interferes with the daily activities of the individual. Therefore, the focus of the various treatment modalities of dissociative disorders is mostly focused on enhancing the coping skills of the patient. The current case study demonstrates the manifestation of dissociation in a 16 years old adolescent with a history of trauma. Furthermore, it documents the efficacy of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Statistical Manual of Mental (Cohen et al., 2017).