ArticleResearch in psychotherapy (Milano)2023
Defense mechanisms are associated with mental health symptoms across six countries.
Article in Research in psychotherapy (Milano), 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
20 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- The Role of Defense Mechanisms in Self-Injurious Behaviors: A Systematic Review.Journal of clinical psychology · 2026Pooled it
- Predicting Change in Brief Treatment for BPD: The Role of Defensive Functioning and Pervasiveness in Relationship Patterns.Journal of clinical psychology · 2026Trial
- Examining the factor structure of the 40-item Defense Style Questionnaire among adults with depression: an individual participant data meta-analysis.Research in psychotherapy (Milano) · 2026Article
- Applying the Defense Mechanisms Rating Scales Q-sort to assess patients' level of overall defensive functioning in interview data: validity and reliability.Research in psychotherapy (Milano) · 2025Article
- Effect of defense mechanisms on the longitudinal development of interpersonal problems during outpatient therapy.Research in psychotherapy (Milano) · 2025Article
- Revisiting defense mechanisms in contemporary clinical practice: evidence and perspectives.Research in psychotherapy (Milano) · 2025Article
- The relationship between defense mechanisms and attachment: a narrative review.Research in psychotherapy (Milano) · 2025Article
- Change and sustained recovery in defense mechanisms and depression in a pilot study of antidepressant medications plus up to 18 months of psychotherapy for recurrent major depression.Research in psychotherapy (Milano) · 2025Article
- Clinical applications of the Defense Mechanisms Rating Scale-Self-Report-30: a systematic review of the first five years.Research in psychotherapy (Milano) · 2025Article
- Defense mechanisms and social mentalities in grandiose narcissism: an empirical investigation.Research in psychotherapy (Milano) · 2025Article
- Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms, Defense Mechanisms, and Mentalized Affectivity in Individuals with Myocardial Infarction: An Empirical Investigation.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Defense mechanisms and inflammatory bowel diseases: a narrative review.Research in psychotherapy (Milano) · 2025Article
- A Multimethod Psychometric Approach to Analyse the Profile of Mental Functioning ‒ M Axis of the Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual, 2nd Edition (Pdm-2): A Focus on Cluster B Personality Disorders.Clinical neuropsychiatry · 2025Article
- Defense mechanisms in immune-mediated diseases: a cross-sectional study focusing on Severe Allergic Asthma and Hymenoptera Venom Anaphylaxis patients.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
- Influence of Defense Mechanisms on Sport Burnout: A Multiple Mediation Analysis Effects of Resilience, Stress and Recovery.Sports (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Impact of Defense Mechanism Styles on Disease Progression in Patients with Gastrointestinal Cancer: Focusing on Clinical Staging.Journal of gastrointestinal cancer · 2024Article
- Therapists' defense use impacts their patients' defensive functioning: a systematic case study.Research in psychotherapy (Milano) · 2024Article
- Personality characteristics, music-listening, and well-being: a systematic and scoping review.Research in psychotherapy (Milano) · 2024Article
- Initial validation of the Turkish version of the defense mechanisms rating scales-self-report-30.Frontiers in psychology · 2024Article
- Defense mechanisms in individuals with depressive and anxiety symptoms: a network analysis.Frontiers in psychology · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
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Abstract
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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Registered trials
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