Dear ISSTD Members, In 2012, the ISSTD Board approved establishment of two new organizational structures: the Scientific Committee and the Scientific Advisory Board. The immediate goal of this initiative was to create a roster of international experts to represent the field publicly. This goal has exceeded all expectation, with the Scientific Committee, for example, being very proactive in promoting the understanding and treatment of dissociative disorders. Now in its fifth year, the Scientific Committee has 12 members plus a Chair. Each year a third of the members rotate off and members are recruited to maintain the vibrancy of the group. The collegial work and discussions inspired projects which have ended up in several publications. Among these publications are three reviews, one edited book, and several opinion papers, which are listed in the references section below for your convenience. Skeptical view of dissociation and dissociative disorders have waned in the past few years. The efforts of the Scientific Committee have not been to deal with unproductive controversies, but to take positive proactive step to educate professionals. With these efforts and others the field seems to be entering a new period characterized by productivity and creativity (i.e., one of generativity, to follow Erik Erikson’s well phrased descriptions about life stages). The last two decades have been unique in terms of global synchronization of knowledge in our field. One outcome of this is a newly-appointed joint ESTD and ISSTD workgroup composed of representatives from both Societies, with the goal of identifying focal points for strategic scientific activities in the near future. Recent discussions in the ISSTD Scientific Committee have included how to bring about the healthy transition of knowledge, experience, and authority between generations of clinicians and researchers in the field. This vital process is a work in progress! However, the Scientific Committee is determined to work towards better integration of the emerging generation in the flow of organizational and scientific endeavors of ISSTD. We also hope to promote our veteran members’ contributions and wisdom more and more. It is my great pleasure to share with you the recent and current activities of the ISSTD Scientific Committee and Scientific Advisory Board. They are vital and wise institutional “bodies” within our organization. References: Brand B, Şar V, Korzekwa M, Kruger C, Martinez-Taboas A, Stavropoulos P, & Middleton W (2016). Separating fact from fiction:an empirical examination of six myths about disociative identity disorder. Harvard Review of Psychiatry, 24(4). Brand BL, Loewenstein RJ, & Spiegel D. (2013). Patients with DID are found and researched more widely than Boysen and VanBergen recognized. Journal of Nervous and Mental Diseases. 201(5):440. Dell, PF (2013). The weakness of the sociocognitive model of dissociative identity disorder. Journal of Nervous and Mental Diseases. 201(5):438. Dorahy MJ, Brand BL, Şar V, Krüger C, Stavropoulos P, Martinez-Taboas A, Lewis- Fernandez R, &Middleton W (2014). Dissociative identity disorder: An empirical overview. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry 48(5):402-417. Martinez-Taboas A, Dorahy M, Şar V, Middleton W, &Krüger C (2013). Growing not dwindling: International research on the world-wide phenomenon of dissociative disorders. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 201 (4):353-354. Middleton W, Stavropoulos P, Dorahy MJ, Krüger C, Fernandez-Lewis R, Martinez-Taboas A, Şar V, & Brand B (2014). Child abuse and dynamics of silence. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry 48(6): 581-583. Middleton W, Stavropoulos P, Dorahy MJ, Krüger C, Fernandez-Lewis R, Martinez-Taboas A, Şar V, & Brand B (2014). The Australian Royal Commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 48(1), 17-21. Middleton W, Stavropoulos P, Dorahy MJ, Krüger C, Fernandez-Lewis R, Martinez-Taboas A, Şar V, & Brand B (2014). The institutional abuse and societal silence: An emerging global problem. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 48(1) :22-25 Şar V, Middleton W, & Dorahy MJ (2013). Global Perspectives on Dissociative Disorders: Individual and Societal Oppression. Routledge Press, London. Şar V, Krüger C, Martinez-Taboas A, Middleton W, & Dorahy M (2013). Sociocognitive and posttraumatic models of dissociation are not opposed. Journal of Nervous and Mental Diseases, 201(5):439-440. Şar V, Middleton W, & Dorahy MJ (2012). The scientific status of childhood dissociative identity disorder: a review of published research. Psychotherapy &Psychosomatics, 81(3):181-184.
