Psychiatry - July 2008 - (Page 52)

[ORIGINAL RESEARCH] Baseline Dissociation and Prospective Success in Special Forces Assessment and Selection by CHARLES A. MORGAN III, MD, MA; GARY HAZLETT, PsyD; MIKE DIAL-WARD, PhD; STEVEN M. SOUTHWICK, MD Drs. Morgan and Southwick are from the Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; Dr. Hazlett is with Woodward-Cody Specialty Consultants, Inc. and was with US Army Special Warfare Training Center Psychologists, Fort Bragg, North Carolina at the time of this study; and Dr. Dial-Ward is with FASOTRAGRUPAC, US NAS, North Island, Coronado, California. ABSTRACT Introduction. Although dissociation at the time of trauma (peritraumatic dissociation) has been shown to predict the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), it is not yet known whether the tendency to dissociate under nonstressful circumstances (i.e., at baseline) can also serve as a predictor of vulnerability to stress in healthy individuals. Method. Baseline symptoms of dissociation (CADSS) were assessed in 774 active duty male soldiers enrolled in Special Forces Assessment and Selection (SFAS). Results. Soldiers who endorsed experiencing any symptoms of dissociation at baseline were significantly less likely to be successful in SFAS. The greater the number of symptoms of dissociation endorsed at baseline, the greater the likelihood of failure. Discussion. These data explain our earlier findings of fewer symptoms of dissociation in elite troops and may have relevance for the selection and hiring of personnel for nonmilitary, at-risk professions. Better screening may 52 Psychiatry 2008 [ J U L Y ] ADDRESS CORRESPONDENCE TO: Dr. Charles “Andy” Morgan, NCPTSD, 116A, VA Connecticut, 950 Cambell Avenue, West Haven, CT 06516; E-mail: Charles.a.morgan@yale.edu KEY WORDS: resilience, stress hardiness, military selection, military personnel

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Psychiatry - July 2008

Psychiatry - July 2008 Editor's Message Editorial Advisory Board Contents PsychRx Letters to the Editor Reliability of Diagnoses: Do Psychiatrists Use Structured Interviews In Real Clinical Settings? Trend Watch: Use of Atypical Antipsychotics in the Elderly Review: The Struggle for Mental Healthcare in New Orleans-One Case at a Time Psychotherapy Rounds: Psychotherapeutic and Adjuntive Pharmacologic Approaches to Treating Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Original Research: Baseline Dissociation and Prospective Success in Special Forces Assessment and Selection Commentary: Performance-Enhancing Drugs: Where Should the Line Be Drawn and By Whom? Commentary: Psychiatric Diagnosis and the Pathlogist's View of Schizophrenia Journal Watch Classified Advertising Information for Authors

Psychiatry - July 2008

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