Split Sciences: The Legal Accountability of Patients With Dissociative Identity Disorder

Abstract

The thriller “Split” by M. Night Shyamalan showed a glimpse into the multiple personalities of the antagonist in the film. While many elements were added for intense suspense, the existence of such a disorder was factual. Dissociative Identity Disorder is defined by the American Psychiatric Association as a “psychological illness with 2 or more distinct identities, each accompanied by changes in behavior, memory, and thinking” (American Psychiatric Association). In a legal setting, the actions of the patients with DID have numerous ramifications. This paper aims to illustrate how the accountability of DID patients during a crime should be assessed. To find out how DID patients could be held accountable, we analyzed the disorder by researching the transformations in the brain, identified its origins, and explored the consequences in a judicial milieu. After conducting this research, we identified the solution that could be seamlessly embedded into our current society and benefit the patient as well as the courts. Through the analysis of the psychological disorder with a social lens, we evaluated that the jury and the public should be made more aware of the disorder and the court should not automatically assume innocence based on just the Insanity Defense. This plan is the best course of action for patients and the court systems and also aims to adapt societal thought to be more aware of DID’s difficulties.