title: The use of the defence style questionnaire in major depressive and panic disorders: a comprehensive meta-analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The issue of defence mechanisms is of great importance in clinical practice. The aim of this meta-analysis is to compare different defence styles (Mature, Neurotic, and Immature), assessed using the three-factor defence style questionnaire (DSQ), in major depressive disorder (MDD), and panic disorder (PD) in order to evaluate potential differences in defence profiles among these disorders.
  
  
  METHODS
  We assessed all publications listed in PubMed, PsycINFO, ISI, and Lilacs databases focusing on DSQ defence styles in MDD and PD. To be included studies had to be published in English, to include psychiatric patients, to provide defence style mean scores, and to employ the three-factor DSQ versions. Data were entered into the Cochrane Collaboration Review Manager Software and analysed by RevMan version 4.2.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MDD patients reported significantly lower scores in Mature style and both MDD and PD patients reported significantly higher scores in Neurotic and Immature styles.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A dissimilarity between depressive and anxious profiles emerged, since the former profile was characterized by low Mature and high Neurotic and Immature scores while the latter by high Neurotic and Immature scores only. These results could indicate the use of specific strategies in clinical and psychotherapeutic management of patients with these diagnoses. Nevertheless, present results should be considered with caution because of the high heterogeneity of the studies and some weaknesses in the psychometric properties of the DSQ.
authors: Institute of Psychiatry, University of Bologna, 40123 Bologna, Italy.
authors: Raffaella
authors: R
authors: Calati
authors: Osmano
authors: O
authors: Oasi
authors: Diana
authors: D
authors: De Ronchi
authors: Alessandro
authors: A
authors: Serretti
mesh_terms: D003674:Defense Mechanisms; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D006801:Humans; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires