Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40606888›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in psychology2025

Defense mechanisms in immune-mediated diseases: a cross-sectional study focusing on Severe Allergic Asthma and Hymenoptera Venom Anaphylaxis patients.

Gabriella Martino, Mariagrazia Di Giuseppe, Orlando Silvestro, Carmelo Mario Vicario, Concetto Mario Giorgianni, Paolo Ruggeri, Giorgio Sparacino, Maria Rosaria Juli, Peter Schwarz, Vittorio Lingiardi and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in psychology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Gabriella MartinoDepartment of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
Mariagrazia Di GiuseppeDepartment of History, Humanities and Society, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
Orlando SilvestroDepartment of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
Carmelo Mario VicarioDepartment of Cognitive Science, Psychology, Education and Cultural Studies, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
Concetto Mario GiorgianniDepartment of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
Paolo RuggeriDepartment of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
Giorgio SparacinoCourse Degree in Medicine and Surgery, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
Maria Rosaria JuliDepartment of Health Sciences, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy.
Peter SchwarzDepartment of Endocrinology, Centre for Cancer and Organ Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Vittorio LingiardiDepartment of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology and Health Studies, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Gianluca Lo CocoDepartment of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
Sebastiano GangemiDepartment of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
Luisa RicciardiDepartment of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Chronic immune-mediated diseases, such as Severe Allergic Asthma (SAA) and Hymenoptera Venom Anaphylaxis (HVA), significantly impact quality of life. Defense mechanisms, as implicit emotion-regulation strategies, shape an individual's adaptation to chronic stressors. This cross-sectional study explored the relationship among defensive functioning, psychological symptoms, and perceived physical and mental health in patients with SAA and HVA. Methods: To explore the role of defensive functioning in perceived physical and mental health 34 patients with SAA and 32 with HVA were assessed with the Short-Form Health Survey, the Beck Depression Inventory, the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, the Toronto Alexithymia Scale, and the Defense Mechanisms Rating Scales Self Report-30; between-group differences, and mediation analyses were performed. Results: Defensive functioning was positively associated with mental health and negatively related to depressive symptoms, anxiety and alexithymia. Males reported significantly higher physical and psychological health than females. Patients with SAA exhibited significantly higher defensive functioning but worse physical health than HVA patients. Mediation analysis revealed that defensive functioning correlated with disease type and physical health, accounting for 39% of the explained variances. Moreover, defensive functioning independently predicted mental health. Conclusion: This study highlights the influence of implicit emotional regulation on psychophysiological well-being in patients with chronic immune-mediated disorders. Despite reporting lower perceived physical health, patients with SAA exhibited higher defensive functioning, suggesting that chronic conditions may shape distinct psychological adaptation processes. These findings support the importance of defence mechanisms assessment to tailor psychological interventions promoting well-being in patients with chronic diseases.

Indexed as

chronic immune-mediated diseasesclinical psychologydefense mechanismsDMRS-SR-30emotion regulation strategiesHymenoptera venom allergySevere Allergic Asthma

Identifiers

PMID40606888
PMCPMC12213502

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.