Which disorder features an inability to recall important autobiographical information, usually of a traumatic or stressful nature, sometimes with fugue?

• A. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• B. Dissociative Identity Disorder
• C. Normal and Age-Related Changes in Memory
• D. Dissociative Amnesia

Answer: (D)

Dissociative amnesia centers on an inability to recall important autobiographical information, usually relating to a traumatic or stressful event, that is too extensive to be explained by ordinary forgetfulness. This memory gap may appear alone or accompany dissociative fugue, where a person unexpectedly travels or wanders and loses memory for the past, including personal identity. The memory disturbance causes clinically significant distress or impairment and is not attributable to substances or another medical condition.

PTSD focuses on trauma-related symptoms like re-experiencing, avoidance, negative mood changes, and hyperarousal, rather than a primary amnestic failure for autobiographical information. Dissociative Identity Disorder involves disruptions of identity with gaps in recall across different identities and extensive memory failures related to personal history, rather than a single, isolated amnestic episode. Normal aging changes involve gradual, non-pathological memory decline and do not center on traumatic memory loss.