Psychopathology, defence mechanisms, and the psychosocial work environment.
BACKGROUND
The body of evidence verifies the predictive value of certain work characteristics for mental health problems and that various levels of adaptation mechanisms are employed when dealing with adversity. Data on the relationships between employees' mental health status, their perceptions of work, and their psychological defences are scarce.


OBJECTIVE
To examine the role that personal defences play in the relationship between psychiatric symptoms among working people and their working environment.


METHODS
Nine hundred and seventy six employees (mean age = 42.4 years, SD = 11.3) participated in a questionnaire study that included the Defence Style Questionnaire, the Symptom Checklist 90 revised, and the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire .


RESULTS
Data showed that greater maturity of psychological defences was associated with higher level of psychological functioning and there were strong associations between presence of psychopathology and the three defence clusters.


RESULTS
s indicated a strong positive correlation between the mature defence style and the perception of a satisfactory workplace. There was no interaction between psychopathology and defences in relation to work environment.


CONCLUSIONS
Psychopathology and defences were significantly associated with work conditions, which could suggest that adaptation mechanisms and psychopathology are two independent forms of adjustment to the rapidly changing world of work.
Larsen
Anelia
A
Unit for Psychiatric Research, Aalborg Psychiatric Hospital, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark.
Bøggild
Henrik
H
Mortensen
Jens Tølbøll
JT
Foldager
Leslie
L
Hansen
John
J
Christensen
Anders
A
Arendt
Mikkel
M
Rosenberg
Nicole
N
Munk-Jørgensen
Povl
P
D000328:Adult; D003674:Defense Mechanisms; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D011599:Psychopathology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017132:Workplace / Q000523:psychology*