I am looking for information on fragmentation as a part of possible DID or similar disorders. I can't seem to find anything specifically talking about this issue.

Janice

Perhaps some of your difficulty in finding information about fragmentation may be that the term could be applied in several different ways. For instance, there is personality fragmentation (an extreme version of which appears in dissociative identity disorder, or DID, formerly known as multiple personality disorder, or MPD), and there is the fragmentation of personal experience or perception -- emotions, sensations, thoughts, etc. The latter type of fragmentation is more commonly referred to as dissociation (as in the dis-association of aspects -- or fragments -- of one's experience), and can be found in varying degrees in several conditions in addition to DID. You may be able to find more of the kind of information you're seeking by researching dissociation.

Some possible resources for information on dissociation include the Sidran Foundation and the International Society for the Study of Dissociation (ISSD). The Sidran Foundation website contains more resources meant for the general public, as compared to professionals, than does the ISSD website. Also, Dr. Frank Putnam's book "Dissociation in Children and Adolescents" provides a good (although academically oriented) overview and discussion of the developmental processes contributing to dissociation.

Personality fragmentation is also sometimes noted in borderline personality disorder. Such fragmentation may become apparent primarily when the person is emotionally stressed, but is not as pronounced as it is in DID or other dissociative disorders.

I hope this helps steer you in the direction you seek. If you still have trouble finding information on fragmentation, or do not find the exact information you want, you might try visiting a college or university library and asking a librarian to search the social sciences and medical journal databases for books and articles referring to fragmentation. (It's possible a librarian at your local public library might also be able to help you, but I'm not sure she or he would have access to the Psychlit psychology database.) An experienced university librarian may also be able to help you refine your search as necessary. Good luck.