Question

Ian was the victim of a violent crime when he was a freshman in college. While he suffered no head injuries as a result, he cannot remember anything from the time period of his assault. He most likely may be diagnosed with the following:

Dissociative identity disorder
Dissociative amnesia
Dissociative fugue
Dissociative aphasia

Answer 1

Ian's symptoms of not remembering anything from the time period of his assault are most consistent with **dissociative amnesia**. This condition involves the inability to recall important personal information, typically related to a traumatic or stressful event, which aligns with Ian's experience of forgetting the events surrounding the violent crime.

Dissociative identity disorder involves the presence of two or more distinct identities or personality states, which does not apply here. Dissociative fugue involves sudden travel away from home or customary work locations, along with inability to recall one's past, which also doesn't match Ian's case as there is no mention of travel. Dissociative aphasia refers to a loss of memory specifically related to language and does not fit with Ian's situation.

Therefore, the most appropriate diagnosis here is **dissociative amnesia**.