Depersonalization is a condition that makes people feel detached from one's self, body and others. The representation of one's own face is a salient bodily aspect of self-awareness and identity, and empirical evidence suggests that individuals with depersonalization disorder experience disrupted perception of their faces when viewing themselves in photographs or in the mirror, which has been corroborated by first-person reports. However, no study had yet explored the state of long-term self-face representations stored in visual memory in the context of depersonalization. By visualizing how individuals saw themselves "in the mind's eye", this study provides the first empirical evidence for a relationship between depersonalization symptoms and impairments in self-face representation. Individuals reporting more frequent and intense depersonalization symptoms had lower self-face representation accuracy, but somewhat counterintuitively, also higher precision and informational content of this representation. These results suggested that individuals with high depersonalization were representing a distinct, but inaccurate, facial identity as themselves. The self-face representations of high-depersonalization participants were rated as visibly more emotionless and younger in appearance than those of low-depersonalisation participants, according to independent raters. These features were found to be specifically related to aspects of depersonalization symptomatology related to anomalous memory experiences. Finally, an intriguing role of interoceptive sensibility was revealed in both self-face representational accuracy and in depersonalization symptoms. These novel results highlight the link between interoceptive and exteroceptive bodily self-awareness and memory processes as important in those individuals who experience distressing feelings of being detached from one's self, body and the world.
Depersonalization is a condition that makes people feel detached from one's self, body and others. The representation of one's own face is a salient bodily aspect of self-awareness and identity, and empirical evidence suggests that individuals with depersonalization disorder experience disrupted perception of their faces when viewing themselves in photographs or in the mirror, which has been corroborated by first-person reports. However, no study had yet explored the state of long-term self-face representations stored in visual memory in the context of depersonalization. By visualizing how individuals saw themselves "in the mind's eye", this study provides the first empirical evidence for a relationship between depersonalization symptoms and impairments in self-face representation. Individuals reporting more frequent and intense depersonalization symptoms had lower self-face representation accuracy, but somewhat counterintuitively, also higher precision and informational content of this representation. These results suggested that individuals with high depersonalization were representing a distinct, but inaccurate, facial identity as themselves. The self-face representations of high-depersonalization participants were rated as visibly more emotionless and younger in appearance than those of low-depersonalisation participants, according to independent raters. These features were found to be specifically related to aspects of depersonalization symptomatology related to anomalous memory experiences. Finally, an intriguing role of interoceptive sensibility was revealed in both self-face representational accuracy and in depersonalization symptoms. These novel results highlight the link between interoceptive and exteroceptive bodily self-awareness and memory processes as important in those individuals who experience distressing feelings of being detached from one's self, body and the world.
Depersonalization and derealization disorder (DPDR) is a debilitating condition. To date, little was known about the role of personality structure and of perceived social support and loneliness in DPDR.
Three studies investigated, respectively: (i) broadband personality traits (five-factor model), maladaptive trait domains (PID-5), and perceived support and loneliness in individuals with self-reported DPDR (N = 160) versus a general population sample (N = 303), using network modeling; (ii) structure and interconnectivity of personality, perceived support and loneliness, and DPDR traits (frequency/duration) in individuals with self-reported DPDR (N = 160); (iii) characteristic adaptations and narrative identities in individuals with self-reported DPDR (N = 19), using thematic analysis.
Study 1 found between-samples differences across several traits, especially psychoticism and negative affect. Differences in networks' global centrality, but not structures or edges, were also found. The graphical model in Study 2 showed a community of dissociative tendencies including DPDR traits and psychoticism. Study 3 highlighted the development of DPDR as a key life transition for those experiencing it, with narratives focusing on feelings of poor agency, isolation, and a disrupted sense of self.
Individual differences in personality characterize DPDR, especially in psychoticism. Implications for theory and research are discussed.
This study aimed to validate the Italian version of the Multiscale Dissociation Inventory (MDI-ITA) and to assess its psychometric properties in a non-clinical sample. The MDI was translated and culturally adapted following established guidelines. A total of 439 Italian-speaking adults participated in the study and filled out the MDI-ITA and other assessment tools for dissociation depression, anxiety, stress, and post-traumatic symptoms. The internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and construct validity of the MDI-ITA were evaluated using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Consistent with previous validation studies, the analyses supported a five-factor structure: Disengagement, Depersonalization/Derealization, Emotional Constriction, Memory Disturbance, and Identity Dissociation. Cronbach's alpha values for each subscale were all greater than 0.71, demonstrating satisfactory internal consistency. Test-retest reliability was also high, with a correlation of 0.91. Convergent validity was supported by significant positive correlations between MDI-ITA and other dissociation measures. Discriminant validity was indicated by weaker correlations with depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic symptoms. The MDI-ITA is a reliable and valid tool for assessing dissociative phenomena in Italian-speaking populations with potential applications in both clinical and research settings. Its multidimensional structure offers comprehensive insights into dissociation, facilitating the development of targeted interventions for individuals presenting with these symptoms.
During an acute episode of depersonalization/derealization (DP/DR), people report a complex and idiosyncratic change in their perceptual experience. Specifically, derealisation describes the experience of detachment from the external world and altered visual perception in which the surroundings look faded, foggy, or dream-like. Whilst some have argued that there may not be genuine perceptual changes in derealization, this proposal is yet to be tested empirically. Thus, we set out to investigate the potential perceptual changes in derealization. In this Registered Report, we conducted two online experiments to reveal the impact of DP/DR symptoms measuredthe state version of the Cambridge Depersonalisation Scale (CDS) on how people evaluate (Experiment 1, = 200, CDS-state mean: 32.43 ± 29.94 SD) and adjust (Experiment 2, = 125, CDS-state mean: 29.38 ± 30.47 SD) naturalistic scene images with different levels of saturation and contrast. Participants were asked to rate how real the presented images look compared to their everyday experience (in Experiment 1) and to adjust the contrast or saturation level of images to match their everyday visual experience (in Experiment 2). We tested the effect of CDS-state scores on these subjective ratingsmodel comparison with Bayes Factors. In both experiments, we found strong evidence supporting the null models, suggesting that DP/DR symptoms did not affect realness ratings or vividness adjustments. These results provide empirical support for theories suggesting that self-reported altered vividness experience in derealization does not reflect genuine perceptual changes, instead they signify the (meta-)cognitive interpretation of these experiences. We discuss pros and cons of the current research practices when assessing derealization and highlight key avenues for the future investigation.