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Quaderni di Psicoterapia Cognitiva - Open Access

SEZIONE GENERALE - ADHD: nuove prospettive

No. 55 (2024)

Differences in Dissociative Profiles Between ADHD and Complex Trauma Disorder: A Comparative Clinical Study

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3280/qpc55-2024oa20373
Submitted
giugno 12, 2025
Published
2025-07-08

Abstract

Over the years, several studies confirmed the occurrence of dissociative symptoms in trauma-related disorders such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Complex TraumaStress Disorder (CTSD). At the same time, recent literature focused on dissociative-like manifestations (distractibility, absorption, forgetfulness) in neurodevelopmental disorders, such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This results in a marked difficulty for the clinician in distinguishing between a dissociation due to trauma and/or dissociative manifestations associated with an innate vulnerability. This phenomenological overlap requires an in-depth comparative analysis of dissociative symptoms between different disorders, such as ADHD and trauma-related disorders.
The present study aims to compare the scores of the dissociative phenomenon in two clinical groups: individuals diagnosed with ADHD presenting trauma and individuals diagnosed with ADHD without traumatic symptoms. Forty-two subjects diagnosed with ADHD, as assessed by the DIVA-5, were recruited. Participants were administered the Dissociative Experiences Scale-II (DES-II); the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R); and the Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE).
We found that the co-occurrence of PTSD symptoms with ADHD aggravated dissociative-like manifestations compared to individuals with only ADHD. Also, ADHD participants who experienced adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) presented more severe dissociative amnesia compared to participants with only ADHD.
This pilot study provides insights into the quality of dissociation in different clinical populations, revealing different patterns of dissociative manifestations among individuals with ADHD and trauma-related disorders.

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