Child abuse as an antecedent of multiple personality disorder.

Until recently, few cases of multiple personality disorder were diagnosed in children. Today, the number of cases is increasing at an alarming rate and appears to be most closely associated with repeated sexual and physical abuse. This paper focuses on reports of childhood multiple personality disorder in the literature, the etiology of this disorder, family dynamics, the differences between childhood and adult multiple personality disorder, credibility problems in children, reasons for failure to diagnose multiple personality disorder in children, treatment, and signs and symptoms to look for in the clinical setting.