EXPLOration of Processes Involved in Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) (EXPLO-DID)

June 23, 2026 updated by: Lille University

EXPLOration Des Processus à l'Origine du Trouble Dissociatif de l'Identité (TDI)(EXPLOTDI)

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) is a psychological condition in which a person may feel as though they have multiple distinct personalities or identities. Today, this disorder is being discussed more and more, particularly among young people, partly due to its visibility on social media. However, researchers have observed that some individuals may mimic or exaggerate the symptoms, which makes it more difficult to understand the disorder.

The goal of this study is therefore to better understand:

  • in which situations these identity shifts occur
  • what people feel at that moment
  • and what happens next To do this, researchers will interview approximately 60 people, some with a diagnosed DID and others exhibiting simulated symptoms.

Participants will complete questionnaires and take part in an interview. The researchers will analyze:

  • the situations that trigger the changes
  • the associated thoughts and emotions
  • the behaviors
  • the consequences of these episodes

The ultimate goal is to better understand this disorder in order to:

  • improve care
  • and better distinguish between genuine cases and feigned ones

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

This study falls within the field of dissociative disorders, and more specifically dissociative identity disorder (DID), whose clinical validity and mechanisms remain controversial, particularly due to the reported frequency of feigned symptoms.

Objective The primary objective is to identify the functional determinants of episodes of personality state change, whether genuine or feigned, within the framework of cognitive-behavioral therapies (CBT).

The analysis is based on the SORC functional model:

  • S (Stimuli): triggering situations
  • O (Organism): cognitions, emotions, sensations, imagery
  • R (Response): operant behaviors
  • C (Consequences): short- and long-term effects Methodology An exploratory qualitative approach will be used, aimed at generating hypotheses for subsequent quantitative research.

Participants

  • N ≈ 60

    • 30 diagnosed with TDI
    • 30 simulated TDI
  • Multicenter recruitment
  • Inclusion: ≥ 18 years old, currently undergoing therapy Procedure

Participants will complete:

  • sociodemographic questionnaires

  • standardized scales:

    • dissociation (sDIS-Q)
    • dissociative beliefs (DSB)
    • knowledge about dissociation (KADS)
    • post-traumatic symptoms Then, a semi-structured qualitative interview will be conducted and recorded. Analysis
  • Thematic analysis of interviews
  • Data saturation approach
  • Cross-coding by raters Scientific objectives
  • Clarify the mechanisms of TDI
  • Identify functional patterns of dissociative episodes
  • Explore differences between genuine and feigned symptoms
  • Improve diagnostic validity and therapeutic interventions

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
60

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • France
      • Carvin, France
        • Recruiting
        • Sophie Marek's Practice
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Sophie Marek, psychologist
      • Chambray-lès-Tours, France
        • Recruiting
        • Online Consultation Cabinet
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Cécile Elorriaga, psychologist
      • Lille, France, 59800
        • Recruiting
        • Online Consultation Cabinet - Alexis VANCAPPEL,
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Alexis VANCAPPEL, PhD
      • Tours, France
        • Recruiting
        • Centre Régional du Psychotraumatisme
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • William El-Hage, Dr, PhD

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

People who report suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID).

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Individuals who report having Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)
  • At least 18 years old
  • Currently receiving treatment from a therapist (psychologist or psychiatrist)

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Individuals under guardianship or court-ordered protection

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Patients
patients diagnosticated with DDI or simulating DDI
Other: Questionnaire and Physical Exam
5 standardized assessment tools measuring, respectively, dissociation (sDIS-Q; Vancappel, Chkili, et al., 2025), beliefs about dissociation (DSB; Vancappel et al., 2023), knowledge and skills related to dissociation (KADS; Vancappel, Chami, et al., 2025), psychotrauma (Ashbaugh et al., 2016), and dissociation simulation.
Other: Interview
qualitative interview with the therapist they are already seeing
Patients' families and loved ones
the patients' families and loved ones
Other: Questionnaire and Physical Exam
5 standardized assessment tools measuring, respectively, dissociation (sDIS-Q; Vancappel, Chkili, et al., 2025), beliefs about dissociation (DSB; Vancappel et al., 2023), knowledge and skills related to dissociation (KADS; Vancappel, Chami, et al., 2025), psychotrauma (Ashbaugh et al., 2016), and dissociation simulation.
Other: Interview
qualitative interview with the therapist they are already seeing

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Dissociative symptoms
Time Frame: baseline
Questionnaire
baseline
Beliefs about dissociation
Time Frame: baseline
Questionnaire
baseline
Skills and knowledge regarding dissociation
Time Frame: baseline
Questionnaire
baseline
Psychotraumatic symptoms
Time Frame: baseline
Questionnaire
baseline
How the TDI Works
Time Frame: baseline
Qualitative interview
baseline
Simulation
Time Frame: baseline
Qualitative interview
baseline
Dissociative symptoms
Time Frame: baseline
Qualitative interview
baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Lille University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
June 4, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
June 30, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
June 30, 2028

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
June 10, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 18, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
June 23, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
June 26, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 23, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • D2025-6
  • 2025-A02614-45 (Other Identifier: CPP)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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