Trauma-related Structural Dissociation of the Personality.

David Baldwin's Trauma Information, Articles:

Nijenhuis, Van der Hart, & Steele (2004)

Trauma-related Structural Dissociation of the Personality.

Citation: Nijenhuis, E.R.S.; Van der Hart, O. & Steele, K. (2004). Trauma-related structural dissociation of the personality.

Trauma Information Pages website, January 2004. Web URL: http://www.trauma-pages.com/nijenhuis-2004.htm .

[This article is published here for the first time. Copyright by Ellert R. S. Nijenhuis; posted at www.trauma-pages.com with permission.]
Ellert Nijenhuis, writing with colleagues Onno van der Hart and Kathy Steele, presents the most detailed explanation of their theory of structural dissociation as a response to traumatization. Describing dissociation as a failure to synthesize and personify terrifying experiences, this article explores the evolutionary and trauma-related origins of this response, addresses the increasing complexity of structural dissociation into secondary and tertiary forms that may occur in cases of chronic abuse and neglect, and summarizes recent psychobiological research concerning the theory. This provides a detailed theoretical rationale for the authors' phase-oriented treatment approach. 159 references. "