The most used statistic in texts on dissociation or that include dissociation is 1 in 100 people could have it. A rare diagnosis. I can't address the entire population as to validity of 1 in 100 but in the realm of child abuse or adult survivors of child abuse, that number changes drastically. Here are some current statistics:
National child maltreatment estimates for Federal fiscal year (FFY) 2008 are based on child populations for the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. During FFY 2008:
An estimated 772,000 children were victims of maltreatment;
Nearly 33 percent (32.6%) of all victims of maltreatment were younger than 4 years old (figure 3–3). An additional 23.6 percent were in the age group 4–7 years
Nearly 39 percent (38.3%) of victims were maltreated by their mother acting alone (figure 3–6). Approximately 18 percent (18.1%) of victims were maltreated by their father acting alone. Nearly 18 percent (17.9%) were maltreated by both parents.
Source: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/pubs/cm08/chapter3.htm#child
Children who become DID are usually the ones in homes where incest or any intense and consistent abuse begins prior to age 6, although some children have become DID as late as age 9. So all children in the above statistics maltreated by one or both parents equates to more than 50% of 772,000 children who could develop DID if the maltreatment is sufficiently traumatic.
Another source, National Child Abuse Statistics, cites: In 2007, approximately 5.8 million children were involved in an estimated 3.2 million child abuse reports and allegations. 90% of child sexual abuse victims know the perpetrator in some way; 68% are abused by family members. Average age of molestation was age 9.
Again, DID is directly related to the proportion of children whose consistent abuse begins at a pre-school age, which means likely 30-40% of those children abused by family members (1 million out of 5.2 million) or roughly 19%. Why 30-40%? The average age of molestation was 9 meaning half (50%) of those children were under age 9. I chose a lesser amount to be on the conservative side.
It is easy to see that in the population of children raised in homes with abusive children have roughly a 19% chance of developing DID, much higher than the often believed 1 in 100. DID is a well kept secret of the underground and much aligned “disorder” by well funded organizations attempting to protect disclosure for their own agendas.
It's time see see the reality. Therapists working with survivors of child abuse are going to have much higher incidence of DID than that reported in their textbooks while earning their degrees.
