Approximating defense mechanisms in a national study of adults: prevalence and correlates with functioning
Abstract Despite the clinical relevance of defense mechanisms, there are no published studies in nationally representative samples of their prevalence, correlates, and association with psychosocial functioning. We sought to estimate the prevalence and correlates of 12 defense mechanisms in the gener...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Publishing Group
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Translational Psychiatry |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-022-02303-3 |
| _version_ | 1811175720141979648 |
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| author | Carlos Blanco Leonie Kampe Melanie M. Wall Shang-Min Liu Shuai Wang Eve Caligor Mark Olfson |
| author_facet | Carlos Blanco Leonie Kampe Melanie M. Wall Shang-Min Liu Shuai Wang Eve Caligor Mark Olfson |
| author_sort | Carlos Blanco |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Despite the clinical relevance of defense mechanisms, there are no published studies in nationally representative samples of their prevalence, correlates, and association with psychosocial functioning. We sought to estimate the prevalence and correlates of 12 defense mechanisms in the general adult population by approximating from items used to assess personality traits in the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC), a representative sample of US adults (N = 36,653). We examined the associations between sociodemographic characteristics and prevalence of 3 types of defenses mechanisms (pathological, immature, and neurotic). For each defense mechanism, we used the Short-Form 12 to compare psychosocial functioning among 3 groups: those who (1) endorsed the mechanism with self-recognized impairment, (2) endorsed the mechanism without self-recognized impairment, and (3) did not endorse the defense mechanism. The prevalence of defense mechanisms ranged from 13.2% (splitting) to 44.5% (obsessive/controlling behavior). Pathological defenses were more strongly associated with immature defenses (OR = 5.4, 95% CI = 5.2–5.6) than with neurotic defenses (OR = 2.0, 95% CI = 1.9–2.0), whereas the association between immature and neurotic defenses had an intermediate value between the other two (OR = 2.2, 95% CI = 2.1–2.2). Pathological and immature defenses were associated with younger age, having been never married, lower educational attainment, and lower income. After adjusting the crude results for age and sex, individuals who did not endorse a given defense generally had higher scores on the mental health component of the SF-12 than those who endorsed the defense without self-recognized impairment who, in turn, had on average higher scores than those with self-recognized impairment. These results suggest that neurotic, immature, and pathological defense mechanisms are prevalent in the general population and associated with psychosocial impairment. Recognizing defense mechanisms may be important in clinical practice regardless of treatment modality. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T19:41:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e5a1424237a446abaf9912525394e4f3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2158-3188 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T19:41:27Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Translational Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-e5a1424237a446abaf9912525394e4f32023-01-29T12:22:31ZengNature Publishing GroupTranslational Psychiatry2158-31882023-01-011311610.1038/s41398-022-02303-3Approximating defense mechanisms in a national study of adults: prevalence and correlates with functioningCarlos Blanco0Leonie Kampe1Melanie M. Wall2Shang-Min Liu3Shuai Wang4Eve Caligor5Mark Olfson6National Institute on Drug AbusePsychologische Hochschule BerlinDepartment of Psychiatry, Columbia University/New York State Psychiatric InstituteDepartment of Psychiatry, Columbia University/New York State Psychiatric InstituteDepartment of Psychiatry, Columbia University/New York State Psychiatric InstituteDepartment of Psychiatry, Columbia University/New York State Psychiatric InstituteDepartment of Psychiatry, Columbia University/New York State Psychiatric InstituteAbstract Despite the clinical relevance of defense mechanisms, there are no published studies in nationally representative samples of their prevalence, correlates, and association with psychosocial functioning. We sought to estimate the prevalence and correlates of 12 defense mechanisms in the general adult population by approximating from items used to assess personality traits in the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC), a representative sample of US adults (N = 36,653). We examined the associations between sociodemographic characteristics and prevalence of 3 types of defenses mechanisms (pathological, immature, and neurotic). For each defense mechanism, we used the Short-Form 12 to compare psychosocial functioning among 3 groups: those who (1) endorsed the mechanism with self-recognized impairment, (2) endorsed the mechanism without self-recognized impairment, and (3) did not endorse the defense mechanism. The prevalence of defense mechanisms ranged from 13.2% (splitting) to 44.5% (obsessive/controlling behavior). Pathological defenses were more strongly associated with immature defenses (OR = 5.4, 95% CI = 5.2–5.6) than with neurotic defenses (OR = 2.0, 95% CI = 1.9–2.0), whereas the association between immature and neurotic defenses had an intermediate value between the other two (OR = 2.2, 95% CI = 2.1–2.2). Pathological and immature defenses were associated with younger age, having been never married, lower educational attainment, and lower income. After adjusting the crude results for age and sex, individuals who did not endorse a given defense generally had higher scores on the mental health component of the SF-12 than those who endorsed the defense without self-recognized impairment who, in turn, had on average higher scores than those with self-recognized impairment. These results suggest that neurotic, immature, and pathological defense mechanisms are prevalent in the general population and associated with psychosocial impairment. Recognizing defense mechanisms may be important in clinical practice regardless of treatment modality.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-022-02303-3 |
| spellingShingle | Carlos Blanco Leonie Kampe Melanie M. Wall Shang-Min Liu Shuai Wang Eve Caligor Mark Olfson Approximating defense mechanisms in a national study of adults: prevalence and correlates with functioning Translational Psychiatry |
| title | Approximating defense mechanisms in a national study of adults: prevalence and correlates with functioning |
| title_full | Approximating defense mechanisms in a national study of adults: prevalence and correlates with functioning |
| title_fullStr | Approximating defense mechanisms in a national study of adults: prevalence and correlates with functioning |
| title_full_unstemmed | Approximating defense mechanisms in a national study of adults: prevalence and correlates with functioning |
| title_short | Approximating defense mechanisms in a national study of adults: prevalence and correlates with functioning |
| title_sort | approximating defense mechanisms in a national study of adults prevalence and correlates with functioning |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-022-02303-3 |
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