Research article summary (published 30 Aug 2009):

Specificities of defense mechanisms in bipolar affective disorder: relations with symptoms and therapeutic alliance.

Full Abstract

Defense mechanisms as a central notion of psychoanalysis have inspired various levels of interest in research in psychotherapy and psychopathology. Defense specificities have only recently been investigated systematically with regard to several clinical diagnoses, such as affective and personality disorders. For the present study, 30 inpatients diagnosed with Bipolar Affective Disorder I (BD) were interviewed. An observer-rater method, the Defense Mechanisms Rating Scales (DMRS), applied to session-transcripts, of assessment of defenses was used. A matched, nonclinical control group was introduced. Defense specificities in BD encompass a set of 5 immature defenses, of which omnipotence is linked with symptom level. The level of the therapeutic alliance is predicted by mature defenses. These results are discussed with regard to the psychological vulnerability of BD, and treatment implications for psychodynamic psychotherapy with such challenging patients are evoked.

Author information

Author/s: Kramer, Ueli (U); de Roten, Yves (Y); Perry, J Christopher (JC); Despland, Jean-Nicolas (JN);

Affiliation: Departments of Psychology, University Hospitals of Lausanne, University of Lausanne, Switzerland. Ueli.Kramer(-atsign-)chuv.ch

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Comparative Study; Journal Article

Journal: The Journal of nervous and mental disease (J Nerv Ment Dis), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2009-Sep; vol 197 (issue 9) : pp 675-81

Dates: Created 2009/09/15; Completed 2009/09/24;

PMID: 19752647, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 9/24/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adult Aged Bipolar Disorder - diagnosis; psychology; therapy Defense Mechanisms Female Hospitalization Humans Linear Models Male Middle Aged

Personality Disorders - diagnosis; psychology Personality Inventory - statistics & numerical data Professional-Patient Relations Psychiatric Status Rating Scales - statistics & numerical data Psychometrics Psychotherapeutic Processes Psychotherapy - methods Questionnaires Reproducibility of Results Severity of Illness Index

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