Presentation Information
[O-19-04]The lived experience of adolescents with dissociative symptoms: An interpretative phenomenological analysis
*NIRMALYA MUKHERJEE1, Rajendra Kiragsur Madegowda2, K John Vijay Sagar2 (1.East West Institute of Medical Sciences and Research(India), 2.NIMHANS, Bangalore(India))
Keywords:
Child and adolescent psychiatry,Dissociation,lived experience,interpretative phenomenological analysis
Background- Dissociation in adolescents is a common clinical presentation. The phenomenon is difficult to describe, and little is known about how adolescents perceive dissociation. Interpretative phenomenological analysis, with its unique strength of in-depth exploration of a person’s subjective lived experience, is apt in this regard for understanding their subjective experience.
Objective- To explore and understand the lived experience of adolescents having dissociation symptoms and their help-seeking experiences.
Methodology- After obtaining ethics committee approval, parents’ consent and adolescents' assent, seven adolescents of either gender, having current dissociative symptoms, were included from a tertiary hospital in India in 2022-23. We explore their lived experience with the symptoms and their health-seeking experience through Interpretative phenomenological analysis. Result- Three major themes were generated: symptomatic experience, dissociative symptoms' impact on adolescent life and coping with dissociative symptoms. Experience of symptoms was like loss of control over mind and body, confusion and distress, unpredictability, and increased tendency to dissociate over time, with confusion about the cause. It has impacted their relationships and socio-academic functioning, with an impact on their identity, leading to increased worry in socioemotional contexts. Coping strategy rolls from maladaptive coping like avoidance with the struggle to understand underlying mechanisms to relaxation, emotion processing and having a sense of control and clarity over self while focusing on health and lifestyle to bring a change.
Discussion- Dissociation comes from distress, which in turn begets more distress in adolescents’ lives with its confusing and unpredictable nature. The huge impact it creates in adolescents’ lives leads to a crisis in identity formation and worry about self. From initial maladaptive coping, they move to more self-regulation and self-awareness, which helps them to cope with the symptoms. This understanding can help us to better psycho-educate them and will give therapeutic understanding and modification in future.
Objective- To explore and understand the lived experience of adolescents having dissociation symptoms and their help-seeking experiences.
Methodology- After obtaining ethics committee approval, parents’ consent and adolescents' assent, seven adolescents of either gender, having current dissociative symptoms, were included from a tertiary hospital in India in 2022-23. We explore their lived experience with the symptoms and their health-seeking experience through Interpretative phenomenological analysis. Result- Three major themes were generated: symptomatic experience, dissociative symptoms' impact on adolescent life and coping with dissociative symptoms. Experience of symptoms was like loss of control over mind and body, confusion and distress, unpredictability, and increased tendency to dissociate over time, with confusion about the cause. It has impacted their relationships and socio-academic functioning, with an impact on their identity, leading to increased worry in socioemotional contexts. Coping strategy rolls from maladaptive coping like avoidance with the struggle to understand underlying mechanisms to relaxation, emotion processing and having a sense of control and clarity over self while focusing on health and lifestyle to bring a change.
Discussion- Dissociation comes from distress, which in turn begets more distress in adolescents’ lives with its confusing and unpredictable nature. The huge impact it creates in adolescents’ lives leads to a crisis in identity formation and worry about self. From initial maladaptive coping, they move to more self-regulation and self-awareness, which helps them to cope with the symptoms. This understanding can help us to better psycho-educate them and will give therapeutic understanding and modification in future.