Perceived Links Between Physical Problems and Stress May Be Clouded by Dissociative Processes

This study investigated the relationships between dissociative experiences, somatization and participants' perceptions regarding the contribution of stress to their physical problems. Seventy undergraduate students were administered the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES; Bernstein & Putnam, 1986) and a physical symptom checklist which included questions about the frequency and severity of various physical symptoms as well as participants' perceptions of the contribution of stress to their physical symptoms. A significant positive relationship was found between DES scores and self-reported frequency and severity of somatic symptoms. Participants with higher DES scores were less likely to attribute their physical problems to stress than subjects with lower DES scores.