Dissociation: experience and change. Version n1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
How do people diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder or severe dissociation, experience a therapeutic community? An interview study exploring retrospective experience and change.
IRAS ID
158159
Contact name
Rachel Smith
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Leeds
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 12 days
Research summary
This is a study about therapeutic change from a particular therapeutic context and with a particular group of individuals. Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based therapy for Borderline Personality Disorder and Eating Disorders, yet, although theory driven, little is known about how DBT actually works, for example the actual mechanisms of change involved. Even less is known about how Dialectical Behaviour Therapy works for individuals with a diagnosis of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) or with severe dissociation, for which DBT is also used as a method of treatment. Similarly, little is known about DID per se, and DID remains a highly contested condition/diagnosis. DBT treatment for individuals with a diagnosis of DID or severe dissociation within the context of a live-in residential community, as opposed to weekly 1-1 and group sessions over the course of a year, adds a further element into the mix. Currently, a small amount of quantitative research exists exploring the effectiveness of DBT for this client group within such communities, but there is very little literature exploring client’s own experience of the above process. How do people with DID experience a therapeutic community? What are their experiences? And how do they experience change?
The study is an interview-based study, which will explore peoples’ account of being in a therapeutic community, receiving & completing treatment, and then leaving, to try and elucidate impact, experience, and mechanisms of change. Data will then be analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), (Smith & Osborn, 2008), which involves interpretation of each individual’s unique psychological world.REC name
London - City & East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/LO/1168
Date of REC Opinion
26 Jun 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion