Journal of Applied Research on Children - Volume 13 - Issue 2 - Article 4

Oct 15, 2026

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Journal article examining how adolescent girls with dissociative trance disorder (DTD) in India seek help and how they encounter inaccurate medical information. The work frames DTD as a temporary change in consciousness and relates culturally shaped beliefs—such as witchcraft or demonic possession—to persistent misinformation and care pathways. Using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach, the study focuses on lived experiences, considering trauma-related explanations and the role of traditional healers in managing distress.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages37

Reading Time1 h 33 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Background and problem statement

Cultural beliefs and misinformation in India

Trauma-related and explanatory frameworks

Help-seeking experiences and IPA approach

Journal of Applied Research on Children: Informing Policy for Children at Risk | Volume 13
Issue 2 Healthcare Misinformation and Child,
Family, and Community Health | Article 4 | | --- | --- | | 2022
Addressing Dissociative Trance Disorder Patients in India: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Adolescent Girls'Help-Seeking and Encounters with Inaccurate Medical Information
Devendra Kumar Singh Varshney
AIBAS Amity University Lucknow Campus, Lucknow, UP, India, [dvv0415@gmail.com](dvv0415@gmail.com)
Dr. Manju Agrawal
Amity University Lucknow Campus, [manjua@lko.amity.edu](manjua@lko.amity.edu)
Dr. Rakesh Kumar Tripathi
Department of Geriatric Mental Health (DGMH), King George’s Medical University (Previously CSM Medical University), Lucknow. (UP), Pin 226003. INDIA, [rastripathi@gmail.com](rastripathi@gmail.com)
Follow this and additional works at: [https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/childrenatrisk](https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/childrenatrisk) | | Recommended Citation Varshney, Devendra Kumar Singh; Agrawal, Dr. Manju; and Tripathi, Dr. Rakesh Kumar (2022) "Addressing Dissociative Trance Disorder Patients in India: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Adolescent Girls' Help-Seeking and Encounters with Inaccurate Medical Information," Journal of Applied Research on Children: Informing Policy for Children at Risk: Vol. 13: Iss. 2, Article 4. DOI: [https://doi.org/10.58464/2155-5834.1521](https://doi.org/10.58464/2155-5834.1521) Available at: [https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/childrenatrisk/vol13/iss2/4](https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/childrenatrisk/vol13/iss2/4) The Journal of Applied Research on Children is brought to you for free and open access by CHILDREN AT RISK at DigitalCommons@The Texas Medical Center. It has a "cc by-nc-nd" Creative Commons license" (Attribution NonCommercial No Derivatives) For more information, please [contact](contact digitalcommons@exch.library.tmc.edu)[ digitalcommons@exch.library.tmc.edu](contact digitalcommons@exch.library.tmc.edu) Addressing Dissociative Trance Disorder Patients in India: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Adolescent Girls' Help-Seeking and Encounters with Inaccurate Medical Information Acknowledgements Declaration of Conflicting Interests The authors have stated that they have no conflicts of interest concerning the study, its authorship, or the publication of this article. Funding The authors did not receive any monetary assistance for conducting the study, writing the manuscript, or publishing the article. ORCID Devendra Kumar Singh Varshney [https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0314-3595](https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0314-3595) This article is available in Journal of Applied Research on Children: Informing Policy for Children at Risk: [https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/childrenatrisk/vol13/iss2/4](https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/childrenatrisk/vol13/iss2/4) Addressing Dissociative Trance Disorder Patients in India: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Adolescent Girls' Help Seeking and Encounters with Inaccurate Medical Information Dissociative trance disorder ( DTD) refers to a temporary change in consciousness during which individuals may lose their usual sense of personal identity, have limited awareness of their surroundings, and exhibit repetitive movements that are involuntary (1) and is most frequently experienced by young adult women (2) . Trance and possession disorder is categorized as a form of dissociative illness in ICD 10 and entails a brief loss of the sense of one's own identity as well as full awareness of one's surroundings (3) . In India, DTD poses a significant challenge, particularly among adolescent girls, due to the prevalence of cultural beliefs and misinformation surrounding the condition (4) . Witchcraft and demonic possession are widely accepted as common causes of mental illness across Indian communitie

FAQs

What does dissociative trance disorder (DTD) involve according to the article text?

DTD is described as a temporary change in consciousness where individuals may lose their usual sense of personal identity, have limited awareness of surroundings, and show repetitive involuntary movements.

Why is the article concerned with inaccurate medical information in India?

In India, DTD is presented as challenging particularly for adolescent girls because cultural beliefs and misinformation commonly surround the condition, including acceptance of witchcraft or demonic possession as causes.

What research aim and method does the article state?

The study aims to illuminate help-seeking behaviors and encounters with inaccurate medical information among adolescent girls with DTD in India, using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach.

Oct 15, 2026

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