A study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry found that the presence of dissociation and an experience of detachment from one′s experience of self or environment is associated with risk factors of developing PTSD, physical pain, depression, and social impairment for individuals who have experienced trauma.

"Dissociation is a frequently seen trait in individuals trying to cope with the aftermath of trauma, however, dissociation is largely related to severe psychiatric signs," stated lead writer Lauren A. M. Lebois, Ph.D., director of the Dissociative Disorders and Trauma Research Program at McLean Hospital and an assistant professor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Meanwhile, to get a deeper understanding of the relationship between psychiatry and trauma, Dr. Lebois and her team conducted a study called Advancing Understanding of RecOvery afteR traumA (AURORA).

The study showed that the subjects experiencing derealization tended to have a higher degree of PTSD, anxiety, depression, pain, and practical impairment during the 3-month follow-up. In addition, self-reported outcomes and brain imaging outcomes indicated that derealization predicted the worsening of PTSD symptoms. Hence, the team determined that derealization was a crucial factor linked with altered brain activity detected through brain imaging.

(Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/health/feeling-of-detachment-after-trauma-has-worse-impact-on-mental-health-study-101655888251322.html )