title: Affective temperaments and ego defense mechanisms associated with somatic symptom severity in a large sample.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Several complex mechanisms including biological, psychological and social factors may contribute to the development of bodily symptoms. Affective temperaments may represent heritable subclinical manifestations of mood disorders, and the concept of ego defense mechanisms has also provided a model for the comprehension of psychopathology. The relationship between affective temperaments, defensive functioning and somatic symptom severity remains unknown.
  
  
  METHODS
  We obtained data from a subsample of the Brazilian Internet Study on Temperament and Psychopathology (BRAINSTEP). Participants completed the Affective and Emotional Temperament Composite Scale (AFECTS), the Defense Style Questionnaire (DSQ-40) and the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R). SCL-90-R Somatization scale was used as outcome variable.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 9937 participants (4472 male; 45%), individuals with dysphoric, cyclothymic and depressive temperaments and those who adopted displacement, somatisation and passive aggression as their predominant defense mechanisms presented high somatic symptom severity. Participants with dysphoric temperament and those with higher displacement scores were more likely to endorse numerous bodily symptoms after controlling for age, gender, education and depressive symptoms. Moderator analysis showed that the relationship of dysphoric temperament with somatic symptom severity was much more powerful in people who adopted displacement as their predominant defense.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The data was collected from a convenience web-based sample. The study was cross-sectional. There was no information on the presence of established physical illness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Affective temperaments and defense mechanisms are associated with somatic symptom severity independently of depressive symptoms. These two personality theories provide distinct but interacting views for comprehension of somatic symptom formation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Medical School, University of Ioannina, Greece.
authors.forename: Thomas N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Hyphantis
authors.forename: Tauily C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Taunay
authors.forename: Danielle S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Macedo
authors.forename: Márcio G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Soeiro-de-Souza
authors.forename: Luísa W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Bisol
authors.forename: Konstantinos N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Fountoulakis
authors.forename: Diogo R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Lara
authors.forename: André F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Carvalho
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003674:Defense Mechanisms; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D004532:Ego; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013694:Temperament; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Defense mechanisms; Personality; Somatization; Temperament; Web survey; Web-based research