Babl, Anna; grosse Holtforth, Martin; Perry, John Christopher; Schneider, Noemi; Dommann, Eliane; Heer, Sara; Stähli, Annabarbara; Aeschbacher, Nadine Theres; Aeschbacher, Nadine Theres; Eggel, Michaela; Sonntag, Meret; Berger, Thomas; Caspar, Franz (2019). Comparison and change of defense mechanisms over the course of psychotherapy in patients with depression or anxiety disorder: Evidence from a randomized controlled trial. Journal of Affective Disorders, 252, pp. 212-220. Elsevier 10.1016/j.jad.2019.04.021
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BACKGROUND
Defense mechanisms play an important role in the development and maintenance of both health and psychopathology. Research is still in the early stages of investigating the specific relationships among diagnostic groups and defense mechanisms along with their response to different treatment types.
METHODS
For the present study a total of 47 outpatients diagnosed with depression or anxiety disorders were randomized to receive 25±3 sessions of cognitive-behavioral therapy with integrated elements of either emotion-focused therapy (CBT + EFT) or treatment components based on self-regulation theory (CBT + SR). An observer-rated method, the Defense Mechanism Rating Scale (DMRS) was used to code transcripts of the 1st, 8th, 16th and 24th session to assess change in defensive functioning.
RESULTS
Over the course of therapy, overall defensive functioning (ODF) as well as adaptive defenses increased significantly, whereas maladaptive and neurotic defenses did not change. At the beginning of treatment, the proportion of adaptive defenses and ODF was significantly higher in patients diagnosed with anxiety disorders than in patients with depressive disorders. However, depressed patients exhibited greater improvement in their defensive functioning over the course of therapy.
CONCLUSIONS
Results support the view of defense mechanisms as a useful transdiagnostic and transtheoretical concept and supports the notion that change of defense mechanisms may be a relevant mechanism of change in psychotherapy.
Item Type: |
Journal Article (Original Article) |
|---|---|
Division/Institute: |
07 Faculty of Human Sciences > Institute of Psychology > Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy |
UniBE Contributor: |
Babl, Anna Margarete, Grosse Holtforth, Martin, Schneider, Noemi Sara, Dommann, Eliane Florence, Heer, Sara Soraya Suleika, Stähli, Annabarbara, Aeschbacher, Nadine Theres, Aeschbacher, Nadine Theres, Berger, Thomas (B), Caspar, Franz |
Subjects: |
600 Technology > 610 Medicine & health 100 Philosophy > 150 Psychology |
ISSN: |
0165-0327 |
Publisher: |
Elsevier |
Language: |
English |
Submitter: |
Melanie Best |
Date Deposited: |
08 Oct 2019 10:19 |
Last Modified: |
29 Mar 2023 23:36 |
Publisher DOI: |
10.1016/j.jad.2019.04.021 |
PubMed ID: |
30986736 |
Uncontrolled Keywords: |
Anxiety Cognitive-behavioral therapy Defense-mechanisms Depression Emotion-focused therapy Randomized controlled trial |
BORIS DOI: |
10.7892/boris.133742 |
URI: |
https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/133742 |
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