title: [Thinking organization and defense mechanisms in bipolar disorders. Clinical and psychopathological study on bipolar I and bipolar II].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this research is to explore the psychical functioning in bipolar I or bipolar II disorder people through the analysis and comparison of their thought styles and defense patterns.
  
  
  METHODS
  29 bipolar I and bipolar II people afferent to Palermo University Policlinical Psychriatic Hospital Department were selected during the whole 2009-2010 year. The following tests were administred: Wechsler Adult Intelligent Scale-R (WAIS-R) in order to measure the general cognitive function; Defense Mechanisms Inventory (DMI) in order to measure defense patterns. Afterwards, the results of the two tests were analysed and compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Bipolar disorder people use cognitive mechanisms and defense strategies that are very different from standard population. Bipolar I subjects show both wider and more serious cognitive deterioration and stricter defense mechanisms than bipolar II subjects. Generally bipolar patients show an immature personality based on archaic mechanisms that can be found in all the spheres of their personality: emotions, cognition, Ego-strength, adaptability to reality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The peculiar achieved cognitive and defense profile leads to important considerations about how psychological strategies can contribute to use "bespoke" treatments for these patients.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biomedicina Sperimentale e Neuroscienze Cliniche (BioNec), Università di Palermo. rosa.lobaido@unipa.it
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lo Baido
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Di Blasi
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Alfano
authors.forename: Palma
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Audino
authors.forename: Carmela
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bellavia
authors.forename: Anna Antonia
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Blando
authors.forename: Adelaide
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Merendino
authors.forename: Rossana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Messina
authors.forename: Maria Luisa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Poma
authors.forename: Sabina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: La Grutta
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D003674:Defense Mechanisms; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013850:Thinking; D055815:Young Adult