Dissociative identity disorder (DID) is an ambiguous mental disorder characterized by the presence of two or more personality states—called alters—within one person. Alters act, think, and feel like individual people and alternate in response to social or external stimuli. As a non-congenital disorder, alters normally begin to develop around the age of six to shield the core personality—or the original person who was diagnosed with DID—from past and potential trauma. In this article, unless otherwise noted, trauma refers to domestic abuse. The term systems is sometimes used within the DID community to refer to the different alters within an individual with the disorder (Padilla, 2020).

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) officially recognized dissociative identity disorder as valid in the 1980 edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III). Because of its relatively recent acceptance into the APA and the fact that there is no biological basis for it, DID is commonly criticized by both doctors and civilians alike, making it difficult to diagnose and even more challenging to identify correctly. Because it is not entirely understood, some psychologists look past the signs that may suggest DID’s presence. Paired with patients’ already traumatic pasts, the stigma surrounding DID as a genuine illness grounds patients’ feelings of ostracization. These feelings manifest as intrusive thoughts that may result in suicide. Statistically, 70% of people diagnosed with DID attempt suicide at least once (Matulewicz, 2016). 

Anthony Padilla, a YouTuber who hosts educational interviews with various subcultures, conducted an interview with the hosts of other YouTube channels, DissociaDID and The Redwoods System. Both of these hosts have been formally diagnosed with DID. When asked to provide insight on the portrayal of DID in the media, these participants unanimously agreed that it had caused them to suffer in their personal lives. The host of DissociaDID, a DID activist, passionately expressed an opinion on DID’s portrayal in popular culture by declaring, “It is so ridiculous. It is so damaging…we [are not] going to hurt you. We [are not] going to kidnap you. People with DID are created with DID…because of trauma. We are no more likely to be dangerous than any other member of society. And in most cases, we are less likely because of what we have been through” (Padilla, 2020). The host of DissociaDID, living with 22 alters, has dedicated their life to helping stop the stigma that surrounds DID. Through reoccurring videos about their day-to-day life, individual alters, awareness, and education, the system has amassed over one million YouTube subscribers. These subscribers tune in each week for a new, first-hand lesson on DID. The success of DissociaDID is an exceptional step forward for the DID community because it shows that even with DID, one can live functionally.

Screenwriters frequently exploit DID to capitalize on its controversial reality. In Padilla’s video, he asks the hosts to provide specific opinions on Split, a blockbuster thriller film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. The Redwoods System responded, “Split was actually what drove me into plural activism because I was not planning on talking about it…[Shyamalan] took those interesting physical portrayals that kind of were accurate, maybe pushed, but then used them to represent a really awful situation that I will not even describe” (Padilla, 2020). Plural activism refers to the advocation for accurate DID normalization and exposure, essentially vocalizing against harmful stimuli like Split. In Split, Kevin—the main character and antagonist with DID—kidnaps three girls, robs a vehicle, and murders his therapist. While this indicates a story of fiction to people who are educated on the disorder, those who are not educated may consider violence typical of DID systems. Likewise, in the film, Kevin’s therapist claims that DID patients are psychologically supreme. She considers DID the “ultimate doorway to all things we call unknown” (Shyamalan, 2017). She even claims that DID is “where our sense of the supernatural comes from” (Shyamalan, 2017). From portraying DID systems as murderers to depicting a clinical psychologist as someone who believes systems have psychological supremacy, Split suggests that its information is factual when, in reality, it is not. Moreover, the film introduced the disorder to a new generation: Generation Z. As distinct in its whopping 52% of viewers under the age of 25, Split serves a young, impressionable generation with false data on a disorder that affects up to 1.5 percent of adults (Mitra, 2022). Considering that Split made over $100,000,000 in box-office revenue, the extensive viewing of this movie suggests evidence of the stigmatization of the DID community (Mendelson, 2017).

Zelinka and Lopez (2023) conducted a study with first- and second-year high school students to test whether reading a scientific article on DID would reduce the stigma of DID after watching Split. Participants were assigned to the experimental or control group and given a questionnaire on their knowledge about the disorder. Those in the experimental group received an article that provided an educational article on the characteristics and symptoms of those with DID. In contrast, those in the control group were provided an article with a high school class description. Both groups watched the movie Split and were given the identical questionnaire post-test. Results from the study demonstrated that status on DID may have been effective in facilitating the correct identification of DID symptoms, even despite watching the movie Split. Results also demonstrated that education status potentially alleviated feelings of fear, lack of safety, and legitimacy concerning DID after watching Split (Zelinka & Lopez, 2023). This study demonstrated how educational interventions, specifically the provision of an informative article on DID, may mitigate the negative impact of media portrayals like Split on individuals’ perceptions of DID. The findings suggest that such interventions could potentially enhance the understanding of DID characteristics and reduce associated stigmatization and negative emotions, particularly in the context of those who fall into Generation Z. From our knowledge, this study is the first of its kind to measure these specific variables and should be replicated to continue to test the importance of educational interventions to reduce stigmatization of the disorder. However, it is important to note that the study mentioned is not peer-reviewed. 

Screenwriters are authorized to take artistic liberty, meaning they are legally allowed to write about and manipulate whatever they want. In recent years, as mental health has been talked about more publicly, screenwriters are urged to do their homework on mental disorders. However, since there are no formal rules that govern screenwriting, prior research and correct portrayal is not legally enforced. A solution to this would be making disclaimers mandatory. Different disclaimers can be implemented to decrease negative portrayals of a mental health disorder in a film. Specifically, the fictitious disclaimer clarifies that characters and events depicted in the film are not real, and the errors and omissions disclaimer clarifies that there may be false or missing information in the film. If displaying these disclaimers on screen, prior to the film starting, was mandatory, they could potentially reduce the stigmatization of mental disorders, such as DID. 

For future research, it is crucial to broaden the scope beyond DID and consider disorders like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. These disorders are also frequently misunderstood and misrepresented in the media, and conducting studies on their portrayal in films can shed light on the impact of such portrayals on public perception and attitudes. By focusing on these disorders, there would be further exploration of the potential consequences of inaccurate representations of disorders, ultimately contributing to a more informed and responsible approach to mental health representation in the film industry. It is important to emphasize that the film industry may play a significant role in shaping public perceptions, and addressing the issue can have a positive impact on reducing stigma and promoting empathy and understanding. As society continues to prioritize mental health awareness and destigmatization, it is vital that the film industry also plays its part in promoting accurate, responsible, and sensitive portrayals of disorders and mental health in its narratives. 

References

Mitra, P., & Jain, A. (2022). Dissociative Identity Disorder. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing.

Mendelson, S. (2017, February 8). Box office: As “Split” tops $100m, why M. Night Shyamalan is still one of our last Spielbergs. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2017/02/08/box-office-as-split-tops-100m-m-night-shyamalan-is-still-among-our-last-spielbergs/?sh=609f16f3427c

Padilla, Anthony. (2020, March 4). I spent a day with MULTIPLE PERSONALITIES (Dissociative Identity Disorder) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ek7JK6pattE

Zelinka, M. I., & Lopez-Saavedra, P. (2023, November 4). The Impact of Educational Status on Perceptions of Dissociative Identity Disorder Among Split Audience Members: A Study on Freshmen and Sophomore Students at High School X. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/375332564_The_Impact_of_Educational_Status_on_Perceptions_of_Dissociative_Identity_Disorder_Among_Split_Audience_Members_A_Study_on_Freshmen_and_Sophomore_Students_at_High_School_X.