This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Reply to article  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Michael Peter Bond, MD; Jacqueline Sagala Vaillant, MD

Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1986;43(3):285-288.

Abstract
• The relationship between DSM-III diagnosis and defense style was studied in a sample of 74 psychiatric patients. The subjects completed a self-administered questionnaire composed of 81 statements about behaviors, thoughts, and feelings, which were designed to reflect various unconscious defense mechanisms. Factor analysis yielded four defense styles ranging on a continuum from primitive to mature. Patients' defense styles were compared with their diagnoses on axes I, II, and IV of DSM-III. Significant relationships were found between defense style and only one diagnosis, major affective disorder. The fact that DSM-III diagnosis could not predict defense style suggests that diagnosis and defense style are two independent dimensions. If this can be confirmed by further, more adequate studies, a sixth axis reflecting psychodynamic formulation would provide additional information necessary for therapeutic planning.

Author Affiliations
From the Department of Psychiatry, Sir Mortimer B. Davis Jewish General Hospital, Montreal.

Footnotes
Accepted for publication Oct 25, 1984.

Reprints not available.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

An Empirical Study of Defense Mechanisms: I. Clinical Interview and Life Vignette Ratings
Perry and Cooper
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1989;46:444-452.
ABSTRACT  

An Empirical Study of the Relationship Between Diagnosis and Defense Style
Nussbaum
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1987;44:94-94.
ABSTRACT