Over the past few decades the concept of dissociation has become more and more popular in the psychiatric and psychotherapeutic research community. Psychoanalytic theories (Kernberg, Fonagy) see the cause for dissociative symptoms in a troubled developmental history.

1. 1. In the present study we wanted to empirically study these relations between childhood traumatisation and dissociative phenomena in patients with a Borderline Personality Organisation (Kernberg).

2. 2. Further we were interested in examining personality and affect regulation factors of these patients. It was hypothesized, that certain personality traits (such as primitive defence mechanisms) would be associated with trauma and dissociation, while others (e.g. high-functioning personality structure) would be absent in the sample group.

52 psychiatric inpatients with a Borderline Personality Organisation completed the Dissociative Experiences Scale, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, and the personality and affect regulation measurement instruments SWAP and AREQ.

Significant correlations between dissociative symptoms and childhood traumatisation were found, especially with emotional abuse in childhood. Childhood trauma also correlates with severely disturbed personality characteristics.

The results empirically support psychoanalytic theories that a failure by the primary attachment figure in containing affects and sensations of a child can lead to dissociative symptoms and a disturbed personality development. Results are critically discussed within a psychoanalytic framework which should also help clarify the rather vague concept of dissociation.