Toward an Experimental Model to Study Dissociation in the Laboratory: Current Challenges and a Path Forward

Abstract

Dissociation is a widespread phenomenon with profound implications for mental health because dissociative experiences can become maladaptive, and these symptoms are prevalent, disruptive, and costly, both in direct health care expenses and indirect costs (1). Dissociation occurs across various diagnostic categories, and there is growing evidence that dissociation predicts poorer treatment response (2). Thus, the empirical investigation of dissociation is a priority in order to improve our understanding of its nature and underlying mechanisms, thereby enhancing diagnosis and treatment. In a new study in in Biological Psychiatry: Global Open Science , Brake et al. (3) present a meta-analysis of studies that used various methods to induce dissociative states (i.e., momentary experiences of dissociation) under controlled conditions, aiming to provide insights into how dissociative symptoms can be experimentally modeled. This work is an important step toward developing a widely accepted model of dissociation for laboratory research. To clarify what is required for such a model to be developed, it is useful to think about how dissociation is conceptualized (i.e., its phenomenology), how it is measured (i.e., the questions used to assess it), how it is triggered (i.e., the conditions under which it occurs), and how ecologically valid different triggers are (i.e., how the conditions in the laboratory compare to real-world presentations of dissociation). In addressing these points, we will highlight both the contributions and limitations of the recent work by Brake et al. (3). Dissociation is broadly de fi ned as a state of disruption or discontinuity in the normal integration of one or more mental capacities such as sensations, perceptions, affects, thoughts, and memories (1). Many researchers recognize that differences exist within this broader de fi nition of dissociation (i.e., there are distinguishable but related facets of dissociation) (4). In addition, similar to many psychological constructs