Table of Contents
Instructions:
This questionnaire consists of questions about experiences that you may have in your daily life. We are interested in how often you have these experiences. It is important, however, that your answers show how often these experiences happen to you when you are not under the influence of alcohol or drugs. To answer the questions, please determine to what degree the experience described in the question applies to you, and show what percentage of the time you have the experience.
| 0% | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% | 100% | ||
| Some people have the experience of driving or riding in a car or bus or subway and suddenly realizing that they don’t remember what has happened during all or part of the trip. Select the number to show what percentage of the time this happens to you. (0% Never, 100% Always) | 0 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 100 | |
| Some people find that sometimes they are listening to someone talk and they suddenly realize that they did not hear part or all of what was said. | 0 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 100 | |
| Some people have the experience of finding themselves in a place and have no idea how they got there. | 0 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 100 | |
| Some people have the experience of finding themselves dressed in clothes that they don’t remember putting on. | 0 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 100 | |
| Some people have the experience of finding new things among their belongings that they do not remember buying. | 0 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 100 | |
| Some people sometimes find that they are approached by people that they do not know, who call them by another name or insist that they have met them before. | 0 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 100 | |
| Some people sometimes have the experience of feeling as though they are standing next to themselves or watching themselves do something and they actually see themselves as if they were looking at another person. | 0 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 100 | |
| Some people are told that they sometimes do not recognize friends or family members. | 0 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 100 | |
| Some people find that they have no memory for some important events in their lives (for example, a wedding or graduation). | 0 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 100 | |
| Some people have the experience of being accused of lying when they do not think that they have lied. | 0 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 100 | |
| Some people have the experience of looking in a mirror and not recognizing themselves. | 0 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 100 | |
| Some people have the experience of feeling that other people, objects, and the world around them are not real. | 0 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 100 | |
| Some people have the experience of feeling that their body does not seem to belong to them. | 0 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 100 | |
| Some people have the experience of sometimes remembering a past event so vividly that they feel as if they were reliving that event. | 0 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 100 | |
| 0% | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% | 100% | ||
| Some people have the experience of not being sure whether things that they remember happening really did happen or whether they just dreamed them. | 0 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 100 | |
| Some people have the experience of being in a familiar place but finding it strange and unfamiliar. | 0 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 100 | |
| Some people find that when they are watching television or a movie they become so absorbed in the story that they are unaware of other events happening around them. | 0 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 100 | |
| Some people find that they become so involved in a fantasy or daydream that it feels as though it were really happening to them. | 0 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 100 | |
| Some people find that they sometimes are able to ignore pain. | 0 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 100 | |
| Some people find that they sometimes sit staring off into space, thinking of nothing, and are not aware of the passage of time. | 0 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 100 | |
| Some people sometimes find that when they are alone they talk out loud to themselves. | 0 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 100 | |
| Some people find that in one situation they may act so differently compared with another situation that they feel almost as if they were two different people. | 0 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 100 | |
| Some people sometimes find that in certain situations they are able to do things with amazing ease and spontaneity that would usually be difficult for them (for example, sports, work, social situations, etc.). | 0 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 100 | |
| Some people sometimes find that they cannot remember whether they have done something or have just thought about doing that thing (for example, not knowing whether they have just mailed a letter or have just thought about mailing it). | 0 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 100 | |
| Some people find evidence that they have done things that they do not remember doing. | 0 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 100 | |
| Some people sometimes find writings, drawings, or notes among their belongings that they must have done but cannot remember doing. | 0 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 100 | |
| Some people sometimes find that they hear voices inside their head that tell them to do things or comment on things that they are doing. | 0 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 100 | |
| Some people sometimes feel as if they are looking at the world through a fog, so that people and objects appear far away or unclear. | 0 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 100 | |
Description
The DES-II is a brief, self-report measure of dissociative experiences. Dissociation is often considered a psychological defense mechanism for victims of traumatizing events, and the scale is of particular use in measuring dissociation among people with PTSD, dissociative disorders, borderline personality disorder and those with a history of abuse. In fact, dissociative symptoms are considered by some to be a transdiagnostic indictor of dysfunctional coping, with many disorders being associated with higher than average dissociation. The scale can be used during the course of treatment to track progress over time. The DES has three sub-scales: 1. Amnesia Factor 2. Depersonalization/Derealization Factor 3. Absorption Factor
Validity and Reliability
In a meta-analysis (IJzendoorn & Schuengel, 1996) showed DES has good convergent validity with other dissociative experiences questionnaires and interview schedules. The scale also showed impressive predictive validity, in particular concerning dissociative disorders, traumatic stress disorder and abuse. Another meta analysis (Lysesenko et al., 2018) found that the DES was a useful tool across many disorders. Normative data across clinical and non-clinical samples have been reported (IJzendoorn & Schuengel, 1996), with the following means and standard deviations: – Non-clinical adult: 11.6 (SD = 10.6) – Student/Adolescent: 14.3 (SD = 14.3) – General psychiatric patient: 16.7 (SD = 16.4) – History of abuse: 29.2 (SD = 21) – Personality Disorders: 19.6 (SD = 16.2) – PTSD: 32.0 (SD = 19.2) – Dissociative disorders: 41.2 (SD = 22) Some data has shown that the three subscales measured by the DES do not form distinct factors, with most factor analyses showing only one overarching factor (IJzendoorn & Schuengel, 1996). Therefore overall scores are the most reliable measure.
Interpretation
The total scores can be between 0 and 100, where high levels of dissociation are indicated by scores of 30 or more. Scores are also presented as percentile ranks compared with clinical and non-clinical samples (as reported by IJzendoorn & Schuengel, 1996). A percentile of 50 compared a general psychiatric patient indicates the typical score for those under psychiatric care, and is lower than than typical scores seen in personality disorders, PTSD and dissociative disorders. Raw scores (sum of items) and average scores (sum items / number of items) for the three subscales are also reported. 1. Amnesia Factor. This factor measures memory loss, i.e., not knowing how you got somewhere, being dressed in clothes you don’t remember putting on, finding new things among belongings you don’t remember buying, not recognizing friends or family members, finding evidence of having done things you don’t remember doing, finding writings, drawings or notes you must have done but don’t remember doing. Items — 3, 4, 5, 8, 25, 26. 2. Depersonalization/Derealization Factor: Depersonalization is characterized by the recurrent experience of feeling detached from one’s self and mental processes or a sense of unreality of the self. Items relating to this factor include feeling that you are standing next to yourself or watching yourself do something and seeing yourself as if you were looking at another person, feeling your body does not belong to you, and looking in a mirror and not recognizing yourself. Derealization is the sense of a loss of reality of the immediate environment. Items — 7, 11, 12, 13, 27, 28. 3. Absorption Factor: This factor includes being so preoccupied or absorbed by something that you are distracted from what is going on around you. The absorption primarily has to do with one’s traumatic experiences. Items of this factor include realizing that you did not hear part or all of what was said by another, remembering a past event so vividly that you feel as if you are reliving the event, not being sure whether things that they remember happening really did happen or whether they just dreamed them, when you are watching television or a movie you become so absorbed in the story you are unaware of other events happening around you, becoming so involved in a fantasy or daydream that it feels as though it were really happening to you, and sometimes sitting, staring off into space, thinking of nothing, and being unaware of the passage of time. Items — 2, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20.
Developer
Carlson, E.B. & Putnam, F.W. (1993). An update on the Dissociative Experience Scale. Dissociation 6(1), p. 16-27.
Number Of Questions
28
References
Van IJzendoorn, M. H., & Schuengel, C. (1996). The measurement of dissociation in normal and clinical populations: Meta-analytic validation of the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES). Clinical Psychology Review, 16(5), 365-382.
Lyssenko, L., Schmahl, C., Bockhacker, L., Vonderlin, R., Bohus, M., & Kleindienst, N. (2018). Dissociation in psychiatric disorders: a meta-analysis of studies using the dissociative experiences scale. American Journal of Psychiatry, 175(1), 37-46.