Preliminary validation of the peri-traumatic dissociation trauma drawing assessment (PDTDA): The case of military trauma

Abstract

The Peri-Traumatic Dissociative Traumatic Drawing Assessment (PDTDA) is an art-based assessment technique developed to evaluate peri-traumatic dissociation subsequent to traumatic events, based on the trauma resolution and time perception literature. To validate the PDTDA, associations between six drawing feature scales; namely, the participants’ peri-traumatic dissociation, persistent dissociation, post-traumatic stress symptoms and history of traumatic events were assessed in a sample of 49 Israeli adults who experienced military trauma. Bivariate correlation analyses indicated that peri-traumatic dissociation negatively correlated with the presence of a boundary line between the event and coping, but positively correlated with new distress symbols. A history of traumatic events negatively correlated with new resource symbols, whereas post-traumatic stress symptoms positively correlated with new distress symbols. The clinical implications are discussed in light of these preliminary findings.