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Partial Dissociative Identity Disorder (also referred to as PDID or P-DID) is dissociative disorder that's characterised by the presence of two or more distinct personalities. Each individual has a unique perception, cognitive pattern, and experiential pattern. One of these personas is dominant and operates daily; the others are non-dominant and periodically intrude on the dominant personality. The non-dominant personality does not take over the person's consciousness or functioning. However, this may occur in uncommon and ephemeral instances to engage in particular behaviors, such as in response to extremely powerful emotions, during self-harm, or when painful experiences are acted out again.

Description in ICD-11[]

Partial Dissociative Identity Disorder is characterised by disruption of identity in which there are two or more distinct personality states (dissociative identities) associated with marked discontinuities in the sense of self and agency. Each personality state includes its own pattern of experiencing, perceiving, conceiving, and relating to self, the body, and the environment. One personality state is dominant and normally functions in daily life, but is intruded upon by one or more non-dominant personality states (dissociative intrusions). These intrusions may be cognitive, affective, perceptual, motor, or behavioural. They are experienced as interfering with the functioning of the dominant personality state and are typically aversive. The non-dominant personality states do not recurrently take executive control of the individual’s consciousness and functioning, but there may be occasional, limited and transient episodes in which a distinct personality state assumes executive control to engage in circumscribed behaviours, such as in response to extreme emotional states or during episodes of self-harm or the reenactment of traumatic memories. The symptoms are not better explained by another mental, behavioural or neurodevelopmental disorder and are not due to the direct effects of a substance or medication on the central nervous system, including withdrawal effects, and are not due to a disease of the nervous system or a sleep-wake disorder. The symptoms result in significant impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational or other important areas of functioning.

Diagnostic criteria in ICD-11[]

Essential Features:[]

  • Disruption of identity characterized by the experience of two or more distinct personality states (dissociative identities), involving discontinuities in the sense of self and agency. Each personality state includes its own pattern of experiencing, perceiving, conceiving, and relating to self, the body, and the environment.
  • One personality state is dominant and functions in daily life (e.g., parenting, work), but is intruded upon by one or more non-dominant personality states (dissociative intrusions). These intrusions may be cognitive (intruding thoughts), affective (intruding affects such as fear, anger, or shame), perceptual (e.g., intruding voices fleeting visual perceptions, sensations such as being touched), motor (e.g., involuntary movements of an arm), or behavioural (e.g., an action that lacks a sense of agency or ownership). These experiences are experienced as interfering with the functioning of the dominant personality state and are typically aversive.
  • The non-dominant personality states do not recurrently take executive control of the individual’s consciousness and functioning to the extent that they perform in specific aspects of daily life (e.g., parenting, work). However, there may be occasional, limited and transient episodes in which a distinct personality state assumes executive control to engage in circumscribed behaviours (e.g., in response to extreme emotional states or during episodes of self-harm or the reenactment of traumatic memories).
  • The symptoms are not better accounted for by another mental disorder (e.g., Schizophrenia or Other Primary Psychotic Disorder).
  • The symptoms are not due to the effects of a substance or medication on the central nervous system, including withdrawal effects (e.g., blackouts or chaotic behaviour during substance intoxication), and are not due to a Disease of the Nervous System (e.g., complex partial seizures) or to a Sleep-Wake disorder (e.g., symptoms occur during hypnagogic or hypnopompic states).
  • The symptoms result in significant impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational or other important areas of functioning. If functioning is maintained, it is only through significant additional effort.
Additional Clinical Features:[]
  • The dissociative intrusions attributed to non-dominant personality states by individuals with Partial Dissociative Identity Disorder are experienced internally and may not be obvious to observers. Observable identity alteration is typically indicative of Dissociative Identity Disorder.
  • Individuals with Partial Dissociative Identity Disorder often do not experience amnesia during episodes of dissociative intrusions. If amnesia does occur, it is usually brief and restricted to extreme emotional states or episodes of self-harm.
  • Partial Dissociative Identity Disorder is commonly associated with serious or chronic traumatic life events.
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