Dissociative experiences and quality of life in patients with non-epileptic attack disorder

Dissociative experiences are commonly reported by patients with non-epileptic attack disorder (NEAD). This cross-sectional study examined the prevalence and characteristics of dissociative experiences in patients with NEAD and assessed their association with health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Fifty-three patients diagnosed with NEAD were consecutively recruited (70.0% female, mean age = 42 years, 22.0% with comorbid epilepsy) from a specialist neuropsychiatric clinic. Our sample reported high levels of dissociative experiences, with 36.7% of patients scoring >= 30 on the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES). Significant negative correlations were found between total DES scores and HRQoL, as measured by the QOLIE-31 questionnaire (r = -0.64, p<0.001). This association remained significant when accounting for symptoms of depression and anxiety, other psychiatric comorbidities, and attack frequency and severity. These findings suggest a high prevalence of dissociative experiences in this patient population, highlighting the importance of routinely screening patients for dissociative symptoms and their impact on patients' lives. (c) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.