Soc Library Research Multiple Personality Disorder

Lynnette Lockwood
Introduction to Sociology
Library Research

Belief in the Existance of the Multiple Personality Disorder
Multiple personality disorder (MPD) has been described as a splitting of a person’s personality to form new people when the stress of the world is too much to handle. Dissociation disorder is when a person experiences changes in their consciousness and identity, but not in their personality. The debate about the extreme level of dissociation advancing into the existence of MPD has been prevalent since the story of Sybil. There have been many studies conducted to determine the existence of dissociation disorder/MPDs, but skepticism continues. In the research article Belief in the Existence of Multiple Personality Disorder among Psychologists and Psychiatrist (Dunn, Gary 1994) a survey was sent to all the 1900 psychiatrists and 1700 psychologists that provided services in the VA medical centers throughout the United States. Some of the questions entailed “Do you believe in the existence of dissociation/MPD? Have you ever treated any patients with dissociation/MPD?” Both males and females were surveyed as well as the number of years they had been employed. General consensus supported that the diagnosis of dissociation disorders existed but requires more specific diagnostic labels. 78.9% of males and 82.8% of females believed in the existence of dissociation/MPD. The survey found that the psychiatrists and psychologists that were younger and with less experience were more likely to believe in the existence of dissociation/MPD. Older psychiatrists and psychologists with more experience were less likely to believe that dissociation/MPD existed. The survey found that the psychiatrists and psychologists that had treated patients diagnosed with dissociation/MPD were more likely to believe in the existence. Major variables that could have skewed the results are that the survey only occurred in VA systems of health professionals working with military veterans and a limited survey return rate.
Dissociation/MPD diagnoses can be approached by applying the structural-functional theory. The structural-functional theory looks at society as a complex framework of parts working towards solidarity and stability. Milder forms of dissociation can be relatively stable within society unless a stressor triggers the dissociation state. However, MPDs are not as stable and do not function well in a social environment. The splitting of one’s personality causes the walking self to blackout, not function properly and experience memory difficulty associated with the experiences of the different personalities. MPDs have extreme difficulty maintaining healthy relationships in work, romance, and families. The debate continues and it is clear that further research is indicated.