Prevalence of DPDR and Other Dissociative Disorders
Statistically, around 10% of the population is impacted by a chronic Dissociative Disorder and 50% of all people will experience some sort of depersonalization symptoms at some point. Only 2% of the poplation is believed to suffer with chronic DPDR. It can be argued that this percentage is higher than these numbers suggest based on the under-reporting and stigma of mental health disorders, as well as the constant misdiagnosis of this disorder.
- This study summarizes data on dissociative disorders, which are highly prevalent mental disorders in North America with a reported prevalence of about 10% in the general population. [1]
- Dissociative disorders have a lifetime prevalence of about 10%. Dissociative symptoms may occur in acute stress disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, somatization disorder, substance abuse, trance and possession trance, Ganser’s syndrome, and dissociative identity disorder, as well as in mood disorders, psychoses, and personality disorders. [2]
- Screening studies using diagnostic tools designed to assess dissociative disorders yielded lifetime prevalence rates around 10% in clinical populations and in the community. [3]
- A meta-analysis of 31,905 college students included 12 studies diagnosing Dissociative Disorders (DD) and 92 studies measuring dissociation with the Dissociative Experiences Scale. Results show 11.4% of students sampled meet criteria for a Dissociative Disorder. The least well-known Dissociative Disorder was the most common. [4]
- This study sought to determine the prevalence of dissociative disorders among women in the general population, as assessed in a representative sample of a city in central Turkey. [Diagnostic Tests] were administered to 628 women in 500 homes. 18.3% of participants had a lifetime diagnosis of a dissociative disorder. Dissociative disorder not otherwise specified (DDNOS) was the most prevalent diagnosis (8.3%); 1.1% of the population was diagnosed as having dissociative identity disorder (DID). Participants with a dissociative disorder had borderline personality disorder, somatization disorder, major depression, PTSD, and history of suicide attempt more frequently than did participants without a dissociative disorder. [5]
- Regarding prevalence between genders, empirical studies have indicated that dissociative symptoms do not differ between genders. The seemingly dominance of dissociative disorders in women may also depend on the socio-cultural context, because men with dissociative disorders usually do not enter the general health system, but rather the legal system, i.e. they can be found in jail or forensic institutions. [6]