Other Specified Dissociative Disorder
300.15 (F44.89)
This category applies to presentations in which symptoms characteristic of a dissociative
disorder that cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or
other important areas of functioning predominate but do not meet the full criteria for any of
the disorders in the dissociative disorders diagnostic class. The other specified dissocia-
tive disorder category is used in situations in which the clinician chooses to communicate
the specific reason that the presentation does not meet the criteria for any specific disso-
ciative disorder. This is done by recording “other specified dissociative disorder” followed
by the specific reason (e.g., “dissociative trance”).
Examples of presentations that can be specified using the “other specified” designation
include the following:
1.Chronic and recurrent syndromes of  mixed dissociative symptoms:  This cate-
gory includes identity disturbance associated with less-than-marked discontinuities in
sense of self and agency, or alterations of identity or episodes of possession in an in-
dividual who reports no dissociative amnesia. 
2.Identity disturbance due to prolong ed and intense coercive persuasion:  Individ-
uals who have been subjected to intense coercive persuasion (e.g., brainwashing,
thought reform, indoctrination while captive, torture, long-term political imprisonment,
recruitment by sects/cults or by terror organizations) may present with prolonged
changes in, or conscious questioning of, their identity.
3.Acute dissociative reactions to stressful events:  This category is for acute, tran-
sient conditions that typically last less than 1 month, and sometimes only a few hours
or days. These conditions are characterized by constriction of consciousness; deper-