title: Identifying psychotic defenses in a clinical interview.
abstract: The Defense Mechanisms Rating Scales (DMRS), one of the most widely used and validated instruments in the study of defense mechanisms, does not include psychotic defenses. The Psychotic-DMRS (P-DMRS) has been developed to include 6 psychotic defense mechanisms: psychotic denial, autistic withdrawal, distortion, delusional projection, fragmentation, and concretization. We discuss psychotic defenses, including the difference between psychotic defenses and psychotic symptoms. Six clinical illustrations demonstrate how the 6 P-DMRS defenses can be identified in patients' narratives selected from the transcripts of dynamic interviews. Implications with respect to patient evaluation and treatment are discussed.
authors.affiliation: University of Lausanne.
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Berney
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: de Roten
authors.forename: Véronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Beretta
authors.forename: Ueli
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kramer
authors.forename: Jean-Nicolas
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Despland
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003674:Defense Mechanisms; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology
keywords: defense mechanisms; measurement; psychodynamic psychotherapy; psychosis; schizophrenia