Evaluation of defense mechanisms in adult patients with panic disorder: before and after treatment.
Patients with acute panic disorder (PD) use a more maladaptive pattern of defense mechanisms. This study investigated the use of defense mechanisms by patients with acute symptomatic PD and those in complete remission. Thirty-three patients and 33 controls were evaluated by the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. The defense mechanisms were evaluated by the Defense Style Questionnaire at the beginning of the study and after 16 weeks of sertraline treatment. Panic disordered patients used more neurotic (4.6 vs. 3.6; p = 0.003) and immature (3.6 vs. 3.0; p = 0.024) defenses at baseline. Patients who achieved complete remission (N=25) differed from the control group in the use of neurotic defenses at the baseline (4.4 vs. 3.6; p = 0.033). After treatment, they showed a reduction in the use of neurotic (4.4 vs. 3.7; p=0.014) and immature (3.4 vs. 3.1; p = 0.019) defenses. Defense mechanisms in PD are influenced by the presence of symptoms, severity, and outcome of the disease.
Kipper
Letícia
L
Post-Graduate Program in Medical Science, Psychiatry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Blaya
Carolina
C
Teruchkin
Betina
B
Heldt
Elizeth
E
Isolan
Luciano
L
Mezzomo
Kelin
K
Bond
Michael
M
Manfro
Gisele Gus
GG
D000328:Adult; D003674:Defense Mechanisms; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020280:Sertraline / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; D020280:Sertraline