Trauma and dissociation among prisoners

Abstract

The current study examined childhood abuse, dissociation and post-traumatic stress disorder ( PTSD) among male prisoners. A sample of 101 randomly selected male prisoners was interviewed. The Dissociative Experiences Scale ( DES), Childhood Abuse and Neglect Questionnaire ( CANQ) and Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-I)-PTSD module were applied. Probands reported high frequency of criterion A trauma (85.2%) and lifetime PTSD (66.4%). Also, dissociative experiences more frequent than that of general population and most frequent dissociative symptoms were amnesia and absorption. PTSD and childhood traumas occur at high rates in prisoners and this finding has implications for management and treatment.