title: Defense mechanisms and Major Depressive Disorder in African American women.
abstract: This study explored differences in defense use between a group of predominantly African American women diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD; n = 20) and a healthy control sample (n = 20), both from a primary care medical clinic. Patients completed the Patient Health Questionnaire to assess DSM-IV diagnoses and underwent video-recorded interviews, which were assessed for defenses using the Defensive Functioning Scale from the DSM-IV. Groups were compared for differences in overall defensive functioning, defense levels, and individual defenses using independent samples t tests. Results showed that the MDD group scored higher on mental inhibition, minor image distorting, and major image distorting defense levels as well as the individual defenses devaluation, dissociation, and isolation. The control group scored higher on the overall defensive functioning and the individual defense anticipation. The results also showed a trend toward the MDD group scoring higher on the disavowal defense level and the individual defense splitting.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA. jporcer@med.wayne.edu
authors.forename: John H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Porcerelli
authors.forename: Trevor R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Olson
authors.forename: Michelle D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Presniak
authors.forename: Tsveti
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Markova
authors.forename: Kristen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miller
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003674:Defense Mechanisms; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires