Question

1. The diagnosis of DID or Dissociative Identity Disorder is highly controversial. The unusual concentration of DID diagnoses in North America when compared with the rest of the global population causes some researchers to question the validity of DID. Some experts believe that reported cases of DID should be attributed instead to social contagion, hypnotic or subconscious suggestion, and misdiagnosis. They believe it is actually a “behavioral” disorder (learned/reinforced), while others maintain that it is indeed a genuine disorder. What do you think?

I, too, saw the film Split recently! I would caution students not to base their opinions off of a fictional thriller-- which leads us to part 2 of this discussion:

2. Do you believe filmmakers have a social responsibility to portray disorders and sufferers of mental illness accurately? Why or why not?

Please make sure to fully answer both questions in your post!

Answer 1

1. I do agree that DID, may in fact be a manifestation of a behavioural disorder. However, the debate that it maybe learned or reinforced, does not disprove its existence as a psychological disorder with a unique set of symptoms. I would consider the behavioural underpinnings as an explanation of the underlying causes of the disorder. Take for example personality disorders. One can say that they are largely the result of complex learning mechanisms that occur throughout the course of an individual’s childhood. Just because they maybe learned, are we to say that they cannot be classified as a genuine disorder? Similarly, DID itself is a distinct dissociative disorder and just because it may have a behavioural explanation, we cannot dismiss its authenticity.

2. I don’t believe that filmmaker’s have a social responsibility to portray mental illness accurately, unless they have categorically stated otherwise. I believe that filmmaking is an art, and like all artists, filmmakers should have the liberty to portray their creativity in whichever form they like. There are films that are specifically made to spread knowledge with respect to a particular issue, and in those films, the filmmakers are guided by the aim to project some phenomenon with as much accuracy as possible. In other types of films, however, I believe that they should be given the artistic liberty to create a film as per their vision.