PTSD in relation to dissociation in traumatized police officers

OBJECTIVE: The assumed relationship between dissociation and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was examined. METHOD: From a group of police officers who had experienced a traumatic event, the authors assessed the chronic dissociative symptoms of 42 police officers with PTSD, 50 police officers with partial PTSD, and 50 police officers who experienced no PTSD symptoms after the trauma. RESULTS: Police officers with PTSD, as well as those with partial PTSD, exhibited significantly more dissociative symptoms than police officers without PTSD symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: The study shows that it is quite probable that PTSD and partial PTSD predict dissociation and not the other way around.