title: The defense process in posttraumatic stress disorders.
abstract: The authors discuss the role of the subjective determinants in the premorbid personality and in the symptom-formation of patients who develop posttraumatic stress disorders. Such factors are assessed through a careful evaluation of the defense mechanisms. It is suggested that psychotherapists focus their attention on the dynamics of such mechanisms and shape their interventions accordingly.
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D003130:Combat Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D003674:Defense Mechanisms; D004532:Ego; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011575:Psychoanalytic Therapy; D011936:Reality Testing; D012649:Self Concept; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology*