Dissociation in adulthood and parent–child dynamics : a systematic review of relational risk and protective factors

Dissociative disorders are associated with substantial psychiatric and functional morbidity. Research has primarily focused on explicit trauma (e.g., sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, neglect) and attachment styles, but more rarely on parent–child relational dynamics conceptualized as a set of interactional processes (sense of safety, being seen, being soothed, control, secrecy, isolation, validation/invalidation, etc.). Emerging evidence suggests that these relational dynamics may be as predictive, or even more predictive, of dissociation in adulthood than traumatic events alone, particularly in pathogenic family contexts. However, the literature remains scattered and heterogeneous in terms of definitions, measurement instruments, and populations, and to date no systematic review has specifically synthesized the association between parent–child dynamics and dissociation in adulthood. This systematic review aims to address this gap by providing a structured overview of relational risk and protective factors, as well as the instruments used to assess these dynamics.