title: Defense styles, impulsivity and suicide attempts in major depression.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of our study was to identify if defense mechanisms are associated with impulsivity and lifetime suicide attempts in depressed patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Defense Style Questionnaire, the Impulsivity Rating Scale and the Impulse Control Scale were used in 77 depressed inpatients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Impulsivity was correlated positively with immature and neurotic styles and negatively with mature style. Some but not all defense mechanisms were relevant in this respect. The number of lifetime suicide attempts was positively correlated not only with impulsivity, but also with immature style and to a lesser extent with neurotic style. Several defense mechanisms were involved in these correlations: undoing, projection, passive aggression, acting out, splitting and somatization.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Like impulsivity, defense styles may be relevant to discriminate recurrent suicide attempters in depression. Prospective assessment of defense styles and suicide attempts in depression is needed.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry Department, Bicêtre Hospital, Assistance Publique, Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris XI University, Le Kremlin Bicêtre, Paris, France. emmanuelle.coruble@bct.ap-hop-paris.fr
authors.forename: Emmanuelle
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Corruble
authors.forename: Nizar
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hatem
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Damy
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Falissard
authors.forename: Julien-Daniel
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Guelfi
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reynaud
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hardy
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003674:Defense Mechanisms; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D007174:Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D010555:Personality Inventory; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data