New study reveals external factors that could lead to dissociation in young people

Everyday stress, loneliness, and feelings of exclusion or marginalisation have been highlighted as the biggest risk factors, along with childhood trauma, for contributing to dissociation in teenagers and young adults, a new study has revealed. The findings challenge traditional perceptions of dissociation and highlight the pressures on young people today.

The research led by the University of Birmingham and now published in the journal Early Intervention in Psychiatry analysed data from 2,384 young people (aged 16-25) in the UK to better understand which factors put some young people at higher risk of experiencing clinical levels of dissociation than others.

Using machine learning, the team identified patterns and high-risk groups within the data leading to four key risk factors that were most predictive of clinical levels of dissociation. Everyday stress was most significant, followed by childhood trauma, loneliness and marginalisation.

Dr Emma Černis, Clinical psychologist from the University of Birmingham and lead of the study said the study could be indicative of the everyday challenges being faced by today’s young people:

“Dissociation has traditionally been dismissed as ‘just’ another symptom of trauma. This data demonstrates that dissociation and its triggers are complex and linked not only to trauma, but also to young people’s experiences of themselves and the way the world is treating them.”

Different age groups were also shown to have different risks. Younger participants aged 16-20 were more affected by dissociation if they also had negative self-image and depression, while those aged 21-25 struggled more if they also had  anxiety and difficulty managing emotions.

Dr Černis said: “It suggests many young people experiencing significant levels of dissociation are also living with multiple interacting forms of stress. They might be surviving the impact of trauma, trying to find acceptance among peers or even wider society, learning to understand themselves and their own internal worlds, and dealing with a lot of stress in their daily lives on top of it all. This data backs up what many of my clients tell me in the therapy room: that dissociation usually happens when they have reached full capacity for stress.

“Dissociation is currently hugely under recognised in the NHS but deserves to be a focus of mental health work. The insights provided by this research could support outreach efforts by helping to identify young people who are at higher risk of experiencing dissociation. Or it could be used to ensure healthcare professionals proactively ask about dissociation when meeting with a young person who matches the ‘at risk’ profile, leading to better assessment, prevention and support for those affected.”

ENDS

For media enquiries please contact Tim Mayo, Press Office, University of Birmingham, tel: +44 (0)7815 607 157.

Notes to editor:

• The University of Birmingham  is ranked amongst the world’s top 100 institutions. Its work brings people from across the world to Birmingham, including researchers, educators and more than 40,000 students from over 150 countries.
• England’s first civic university, the University of Birmingham is proud to be rooted in of one of the most dynamic and diverse cities in the country. A member of the Russell Group and a founding member of the Universitas 21 global network of research universities, the University of Birmingham has been changing the way the world works for more than a century.

• “Identifying preliminary risk profiles for dissociation in 16- to 25-year-olds using machine learning.” - Roberta McGuinness, Daniel Herring, Xinyi Wu, Maryam Almandi, Daveena Bhangu, Lucia Collinson, Xiaocheng Shang, Emma Černis - Published in Early Intervention in Psychiatry, February 2025