Somatoform Dissociation and Symptoms of Traumatic Stress in Adolescents

Lubomir Kukla,Jan Tulak,Petr Okrajek,Petra Selesova

doi:10.1007/bf03379562

Abstract

Abstract Dissociation is traditionally attributed to trauma and other psychological stressors although there is evidence that in many cases dissociative symptoms could be attributable to initial brain insult, injury or other organic brain disease. With respect to these findings there is a question to which extent symptoms of somatoform dissociation are related to symptoms of traumatic stress or whether these symptoms may be predominantly attributed to various somatic factors. With this aim we have assessed the relationship between somatoform dissociation and symptoms of traumatic stress in a group of 75 healthy adolescents. Main result of this study indicates statistically significant relationship between somatoform dissociative symptoms and psychosocial stressors measured by symptoms of traumatic stress. Results of this study also show that the symptoms of somatoform dissociation may occur continuously in population and that only in high level of their experience they cause psychopathological states. In this context, result of this study suggests that also mild levels of stress influence somatic feelings that may lead to symptoms that may occur also as a consequence of various somatic factors.

Highlights

Dissociation is traditionally attributed to trauma and other psychological stressors that are linked to dissociated traumatic memories (Bob, 2003, 2007; Kihlstrom, 2005; Spiegel, 1997)
*Correspondence to: Lubomir Kukla, email: lubomir.kukla@tiscali.cz (Brown & Trimble, 2000; Kuyk et al, 1999, Bob, 2008) such as unability to register pain or painful affect during traumatic event (Butler et al, 1996; Saxe et al, 2002). With respect to these findings there is a question to which extent symptoms of somatoform dissociation are related to symptoms of traumatic stress or whether these symptoms may be predominantly atributed to various somatic factors
Results of the present study indicate statistically significant relationship between somatoform dissociative symptoms and psychosocial stressors measured by symptoms of traumatic stress

Summary

Introduction

Dissociation is traditionally attributed to trauma and other psychological stressors that are linked to dissociated traumatic memories (Bob, 2003, 2007; Kihlstrom, 2005; Spiegel, 1997). There is evidence that in many cases dissociative symptoms could be attributable to initial brain insult, injury or other organic brain disease (Kihlstrom, 2005; Spiegel, 1997) This is in agreement with historical and recent findings suggesting that somatic components of dissociation leading to a lack of integration of somatoform components of experience, reactions, and functions may have a profound role (Nijenhuis, 2000; Nijenhuis et al, 1996; Bob 2008). With this aim we have assessed the relationship between somatoform dissociation and symptoms of traumatic stress in a group of healthy adolescents

Methods

Results

Conclusion