Defense mechanisms are associated with mental health symptoms across six countries
Defense mechanisms are adaptative processes that are related to mental health and psychological functioning and may play an important role in adaptation to distress, as well as in mental health interventions. The present study aimed to compare the use of defense mechanisms and their relationship to...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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PAGEPress Publications
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Research in Psychotherapy |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.researchinpsychotherapy.org/index.php/rpsy/article/view/729 |
| _version_ | 1797353651022331904 |
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| author | Vera Békés Claire J. Starrs J. Christopher Perry Tracy A. Prout Ciro Conversano Mariagrazia Di Giuseppe |
| author_facet | Vera Békés Claire J. Starrs J. Christopher Perry Tracy A. Prout Ciro Conversano Mariagrazia Di Giuseppe |
| author_sort | Vera Békés |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Defense mechanisms are adaptative processes that are related to mental health and psychological functioning and may play an important role in adaptation to distress, as well as in mental health interventions. The present study aimed to compare the use of defense mechanisms and their relationship to mental health symptoms across six countries. In a large-scale descriptive study, we collected data from community- based individuals (N=19,860) in the United States, Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom about the use of defense mechanisms and experienced mental health symptoms during the early phase of the pandemic. We found that the use of defense mechanism categories was similar across countries. Moreover, lower defensive functioning, specifically, neurotic and immature defenses were related to experiencing higher distress across countries, whereas mature defenses were generally inversely related to symptoms. Furthermore, these findings were relatively similar across the six countries. Cross-cultural research on defense mechanisms and mental health has important clinical implications. Our results are consistent with the goal of promoting more adaptive defensive functioning to increase psychological well-being and mitigate the detrimental impact of situational stress
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| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T13:34:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1ffe30b5a24f4eca99e38513787a10b7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2499-7552 2239-8031 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T13:34:06Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | PAGEPress Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Research in Psychotherapy |
| spelling | doaj.art-1ffe30b5a24f4eca99e38513787a10b72024-01-16T22:50:50ZengPAGEPress PublicationsResearch in Psychotherapy2499-75522239-80312024-01-0126310.4081/ripppo.2023.729Defense mechanisms are associated with mental health symptoms across six countriesVera Békés0Claire J. Starrs1J. Christopher Perry2Tracy A. Prout3Ciro Conversano4Mariagrazia Di Giuseppe5Yeshiva University, Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, New York, NYUniversity of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM), Department of Psychology, Montreal, QCMcGill University, Department of Psychiatry at the Insitute of Community & Family Psychiatry, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, QCYeshiva University, Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, New York, NYDepartment of Surgical, Medical and Molecular Pathology, Critical and Care Medicine, University of PisaDepartment of History, Culture and Society, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome Defense mechanisms are adaptative processes that are related to mental health and psychological functioning and may play an important role in adaptation to distress, as well as in mental health interventions. The present study aimed to compare the use of defense mechanisms and their relationship to mental health symptoms across six countries. In a large-scale descriptive study, we collected data from community- based individuals (N=19,860) in the United States, Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom about the use of defense mechanisms and experienced mental health symptoms during the early phase of the pandemic. We found that the use of defense mechanism categories was similar across countries. Moreover, lower defensive functioning, specifically, neurotic and immature defenses were related to experiencing higher distress across countries, whereas mature defenses were generally inversely related to symptoms. Furthermore, these findings were relatively similar across the six countries. Cross-cultural research on defense mechanisms and mental health has important clinical implications. Our results are consistent with the goal of promoting more adaptive defensive functioning to increase psychological well-being and mitigate the detrimental impact of situational stress https://www.researchinpsychotherapy.org/index.php/rpsy/article/view/729Defense mechanismscross-cultural researchmental healthCOVID-19therapeutic intervention |
| spellingShingle | Vera Békés Claire J. Starrs J. Christopher Perry Tracy A. Prout Ciro Conversano Mariagrazia Di Giuseppe Defense mechanisms are associated with mental health symptoms across six countries Research in Psychotherapy Defense mechanisms cross-cultural research mental health COVID-19 therapeutic intervention |
| title | Defense mechanisms are associated with mental health symptoms across six countries |
| title_full | Defense mechanisms are associated with mental health symptoms across six countries |
| title_fullStr | Defense mechanisms are associated with mental health symptoms across six countries |
| title_full_unstemmed | Defense mechanisms are associated with mental health symptoms across six countries |
| title_short | Defense mechanisms are associated with mental health symptoms across six countries |
| title_sort | defense mechanisms are associated with mental health symptoms across six countries |
| topic | Defense mechanisms cross-cultural research mental health COVID-19 therapeutic intervention |
| url | https://www.researchinpsychotherapy.org/index.php/rpsy/article/view/729 |
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