RE: Evaluating Abuse Cases

["Peter M. Barach, Ph.D." <pbarach@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> I know that you consider the DES to be useful in screening for the
> controversial condition of Multiple Personality Disorder/Dissociative
> Identity Disorder - can you explain and provide any references to the
> validity of the DES with regard to research with abusing parents?

	I consider the DES to be an instrument of well demonstrated reliability
and validity for the assessment of dissociative experiences. It has been
used many published studies for screening purposes. By itself, it should
not be used for the individual diagnosis of dissociative disorder.
	The reason I am suggesting that it be included in research on abusing
parents is that there is an oft-repeated assertion that a significant
percentage of abusing parents may themselves be dissociative. This
assertion has never been empirically tested. IMO, it's an assertion that
is worth testing. I am _not_ suggesting that the results would uncover
that most abusing parents have DID...

Peter

Peter M. Barach, Ph.D. (pbarach@xxxxxxxxxxx)
Clinical Psychologist
President, International Society for the Study of Dissociation
5851 Pearl Road, Suite 305
Cleveland, OH 44130 USA
Phone:  Voice: 440-845-9011 (press 6 for voice mail)
        Fax:   440-845-9013
Opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those
of ISSD