Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID): Myths vs. Facts

Research has not convincingly shown a link between DID and increased violence.

Horror movies that feature characters with DID have contributed to this myth and may even be responsible for it. According to 2009 research, DID is a controversial diagnosis because of fear that criminals would not be punished if they claimed another personality committed... See more

DID is more common in people with borderline personality disorder.

While 2014 research shows that the two disorders overlap in symptoms (as many conditions do), they also have distinct features that set them apart.

Dissociative disorders may involve memory gaps and a sense of detachment from oneself and the world. Personality disorders are marked b... See more

A persistent myth about schizophrenia is that people with the condition have a “split personality” — the idea that the self is split into various identities.

A 2008 National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) survey found that 64% of the respondents believed that “split or multiple personalities” were symptoms of schizophrenia.

While recent mental hea... See more

DID is more common than schizophrenia.

Research shows that DID is present in about 1.1% to 1.5% of community samples. In comparison, schizophrenia is estimated to occur in about 0.25% to 0.64% of adults.

In a sample of 658 people from New York, 1.5% met the diagnostic criteria for DID. Similarly, in a study of 628 community women in Turkey, 1.1% had ... See more