Dissociative experiences in the general population in the Netherlands and Belgium: a study with the Dissociative Questionaire (DIS-Q)

p. 180-184This article describes the results of the first European study on the prevalence of dissociative experiences in the general population of Belgium (Flanders) and the Netherlands. Dissociative experiences were assessed with a new self-reporting dissociation questionnaire (DIS-Q). The DIS-Q has been administered to a representative sample of the Dutch and Flemish population (N=374). The results show that dissociative experiences are quite common in the general population, and that their frequency is declining with age. About 3 percent of the population (the majority men) reports serious dissociative phenomena, and 1 percent shows scores as high as patients with multiple personality disorder. These findings suggest that dissociative disorders are seriously under-diagnosed by mental health professionals