Trial reportRevista brasileira de psiquiatria (Sao Paulo, Brazil : 1999)2022
Immature defense mechanisms predict poor response to psychotherapy in major depressive patients with comorbid cluster B personality disorder.
Trial report in Revista brasileira de psiquiatria (Sao Paulo, Brazil : 1999), 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
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The trial behind it
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.
- Predicting Change in Brief Treatment for BPD: The Role of Defensive Functioning and Pervasiveness in Relationship Patterns.Journal of clinical psychology · 2026Trial
- Effect of defense mechanisms on the longitudinal development of interpersonal problems during outpatient therapy.Research in psychotherapy (Milano) · 2025Article
- The Impact of Depression on Defense Mechanisms in Adults: The Moderating Role of Attachment Style.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Role of Early Trauma on Defense Mechanisms and Coping Strategies in Personality Disorders.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors at 1 institution in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo evaluate the impact of defense mechanisms at baseline on depressive symptoms after brief psychotherapies and after 6-months of follow-up among depressed patients with and without cluster B personality disorders (PDs).
methodsThis quasi-experimental study nested within a randomized clinical trial included a clinical sample of adults (18-60 years) diagnosed with major depressive disorder using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview. The Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III was applied to assess PD, the Defense Style Questionnaire 40 was used to analyze defense mechanisms, and the Beck Depression Inventory was used to measure the severity of depressive symptoms. Adjusted analysis was performed by linear regression.
resultsThe final sample consisted of 177 patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder, of whom 39.5% had cluster B PDs. Immature defenses at baseline significantly predicted the persistence of depressive symptoms at post-intervention and at 6-months of follow-up only in patients with PDs.
conclusionIn depressed patients with cluster B PDs, immature defenses predicted a poor response to brief therapies. The assessment of immature defenses at baseline can help identify patients at greater risk of poor therapeutic results and enable more appropriate treatment choices.
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