Is There a Relationship between Dissociative Symptoms and Severity of Positive and Negative Symptoms in Patients with Schizophrenia?

Background: Five phenomena constitute the primary clinical components of dissociative psychopathology: amnesia, depersonalization, derealization, identity confusion, and identity alteration. There is high degree of phenomenological overlap and functional interplay among schizophrenic syndromes, posttraumatic conditions, and dissociative disorders. The present study aimed to see if there is any association between adult dissociative symptoms and general psychopathology in patients with schizophrenia. Subjects and Methods: The study had a cross-sectional design with purposive sampling with a sample size of 60 patients with schizophrenia who were assessed by Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES-II) and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) for schizophrenia. Results: The mean DES score was14.67, with a SD of 9.90. Overall, 8.3% of patients reported high dissociation (mean DES score ≥30). There was a significant positive correlation between dissociative symptoms (measured by mean DES score) and psychopathology (measured by PANSS positive symptoms and total PANSS score) in patients with schizophrenia. Conclusions: The concept of dissociation or dissociative symptomatology is widely associated with psychotic symptoms. The present study emphasizes the importance of assessing dissociative symptoms in patients with schizophrenia to ensure that the most appropriate and effective interventions are provided to this patient group.