Social Work Service Needs of Persons with Complex Dissociative Disorders

The body of knowledge regarding the social work service needs of persons with complex dissociative disorders (DDs) remains seriously limited. This paper presents two case reports of young women with a complex DD to illustrate the opportunities for social work intervention to improve quality of life outcomes. This study is the first to explore the social work service needs of persons with complex DDs. It is also the second paper in the literature to present a case report of persons with complex DDs from Hong Kong. Aspects of their social work service needs are discussed, including symptom management and social and interpersonal issues. We argue that even generalist social work practitioners can play an important role in supporting persons with complex DDs, especially when there is a lack of specialized treatment providers. A series of recommendations are made to educate social work professionals about trauma and dissociation. Persons with complex DDs should receive more attention from social work practitioners and researchers given the prevalence and costs of the disorders in the community.