Abstract

MERCKELBACH, Harald et al. The overlap between dissociative symptoms and symptom over-reporting. Eur. J. Psychiat. [online]. 2015, vol.29, n.3, pp.165-172. ISSN 0213-6163.  https://dx.doi.org/10.4321/S0213-61632015000300001.

Background and Objectives: The potential link between dissociative symptoms and symptom over-reporting has been given little attention. In two student samples (N’s = 139 and 113) and a clinical sample (N = 21), we examined whether self-reported dissociative symptoms are related to symptom over-reporting. Methods: We relied on different measures of dissociation and over-reporting. In the clinical sample, we looked at whether the well-established link between dissociative symptoms and sleep disturbances would survive if we corrected for symptom over-reporting. Results: Dissociativity correlated with symptom over-reporting in the student samples, but not in the clinical sample. Correcting for over-reporting tendencies did not fundamentally alter the relationships between dissociative symptoms and sleep disturbances in the clinical sample. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the overlap between symptom over-reporting and dissociativity is much more a problem in nonclinical than in clinical samples.

Keywords : Dissociative symptoms; Overreporting; Dissociative Experiences Scale; Cambridge Depersonalisation Scale; Structured Inventory of Malingered Symptomatology.

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