Which of the following best exhibits dissociative amnesia?

• A. Someone who has difficulty forming new memories due to a head injury.
• B. A person who experiences persistent delusions and hallucinations unrelated to memory loss.
• C. An individual who has recurring panic attacks triggered by specific phobias.
• D. An individual who suddenly cannot recall important personal information after experiencing a traumatic event, with no evidence of physical brain injury.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the definition of dissociative amnesia: it is a psychological condition characterized by an inability to recall important personal information, usually following a traumatic or stressful event, without any physical brain injury causing the memory loss.
2. Identify key features that distinguish dissociative amnesia from other conditions: memory loss is sudden, related to personal information, and not due to neurological damage or other mental disorders like psychosis or anxiety.
3. Analyze each option by comparing it to the core features of dissociative amnesia: check if the memory loss is linked to trauma, if it involves personal information, and if there is no physical brain injury.
4. Exclude options that involve physical brain injury (e.g., head injury causing memory problems), symptoms unrelated to memory loss (e.g., hallucinations and delusions), or other anxiety disorders (e.g., panic attacks and phobias).
5. Select the option that best fits the criteria: sudden inability to recall important personal information after trauma, with no physical brain injury, which exemplifies dissociative amnesia.