A 22-year-old woman is brought to the emergency department after an episode in which she suddenly travelled to a different city, assumed a different name, and had no memory of her past life or identity for three days. She then abruptly regained her original identity and could not recall the period of travel. What is the most likely diagnosis?
- A Dissociative fugue (a specifier of dissociative amnesia) ✓
- B Dissociative identity disorder
- C Depersonalisation/derealisation disorder
- D Malingering
Correct answer: A. Dissociative fugue (a specifier of dissociative amnesia)
Explanation
Dissociative fugue is a specifier of dissociative amnesia in DSM-5-TR, characterised by sudden, unexpected travel away from home or one's customary place, inability to recall some or all of one's past, and sometimes assumption of a new identity. On recovery, the patient typically cannot recall the fugue period. It is often precipitated by severe psychological stress or trauma. Dissociative identity disorder involves two or more distinct personality states recurrently taking executive control, not a single episode of amnesia with purposeful travel.
Reference: Kaplan & Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry, 11th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
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