Association between cognitive disengagement syndrome symptoms, childhood trauma, and dissociative experiences in adolescents

Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome (CDS), formerly referred to as Sluggish Cognitive Tempo, is characterized by excessive daydreaming, mental slowing, reduced alertness, and diminished engagement with the environment. Its relationship with trauma-related psychological processes remains insufficiently understood. This study examined childhood trauma and dissociative symptoms in adolescents with elevated CDS symptoms and explored the indirect association between trauma and CDS through dissociative symptoms. This cross-sectional study included 60 adolescents aged 11–16 years with elevated CDS symptoms and 65 age- and sex-matched adolescents in the comparison group. CDS symptoms were assessed using the CABI-SCT, childhood trauma using the CTQ, and dissociative symptoms using a revised six-item DSS (DSS-6). Group comparisons, Pearson correlations, and bootstrap-based indirect effect analyses were performed. Adolescents with elevated CDS symptoms showed significantly greater childhood trauma, dissociative symptom severity, and CDS symptom severity than the comparison group (all p < .001), whereas age, sex distribution, and disruptive behavior symptoms did not differ significantly. Within the CDS group, dissociative symptoms were significantly associated with both childhood trauma and CDS severity, whereas childhood trauma and CDS symptoms were not significantly correlated. The indirect association between childhood trauma and CDS symptoms through dissociative symptoms was significant, whereas the direct effect was not. Adolescents with elevated CDS symptoms showed greater childhood trauma and dissociative symptoms than the comparison group. Dissociation may represent a clinically relevant correlate of cognitive disengagement, although causal or temporal inferences cannot be made from the cross-sectional design.