Which of the following is a criterion for diagnosing dissociative amnesia?

• A. Persistent delusions and hallucinations
• B. Inability to recall important personal information, usually of a traumatic or stressful nature, that is inconsistent with ordinary forgetting
• C. Chronic feelings of sadness and hopelessness
• D. Manic episodes lasting at least one week

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the definition of dissociative amnesia. It is a psychological disorder characterized by an inability to recall important personal information, usually related to trauma or stress, that cannot be explained by ordinary forgetfulness.
2. Step 2: Review the diagnostic criteria for dissociative amnesia, which focus on memory loss rather than mood symptoms or psychotic features.
3. Step 3: Identify that symptoms such as persistent delusions and hallucinations are more characteristic of psychotic disorders, not dissociative amnesia.
4. Step 4: Recognize that chronic feelings of sadness and hopelessness are typical of depressive disorders, and manic episodes lasting at least one week are indicative of bipolar disorder, neither of which are criteria for dissociative amnesia.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the key diagnostic criterion for dissociative amnesia is the inability to recall important personal information, usually traumatic or stressful, which is inconsistent with ordinary forgetting.