title: Defense mechanisms in a community-based sample of female adolescents with partial eating disorders.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study is to assess whether female adolescents diagnosed with partial eating disorders (EDs) will show less adaptive defense mechanisms compared to female controls with no-ED.
  
  
  METHODS
  The following questionnaires were administered to 423 female high-school students: The Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26), the Defense Style Questionnaire (DSQ), and Life Style Index (LSI) (both tapping defense mechanisms), and a structured questionnaire assessing eating-related issues. Weight and height were also recorded. Partial anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) were defined with the combination of a maladaptive EAT score and fulfillment of adapted DSM-IV criteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to non-ED controls, participants with partial AN and partial BN used more immature defenses, including the DSQ-immature defense style (only those with partial BN) and LSI-regression, as well as more neurotic defenses, namely the DSQ-neurotic defense style, and LSI-compensation and displacement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The combined use of immature and neurotic defenses may be associated with a greater risk to develop a partial ED in adolescent females.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Psychosomatic Department, The Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel. dstein@netvision.net.il
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stein
authors.forename: Yifat
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bronstein
authors.forename: Abraham
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weizman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D002032:Bulimia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D003674:Defense Mechanisms; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012043:Regression, Psychology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires