First-rank symptoms as a diagnostic clue to multiple personality disorder

Abstract

Thirty patients with multiple personality disorder had one or more of Schneider's 11 first-rank symptoms at initial assessment (mean = 3.6; range = 1-8). The author describes these symptom categories, eight of which were noted in the patients he interviewed, and illustrates them from the patients' case material. He suggests that inquiry about first-rank symptom phenomena may be a valuable diagnostic clue to the presence of multiple personality disorder.