title: The physician's quality of life: Relationship with ego defense mechanisms and object relations.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess whether ego defense mechanisms and object relations (the way an individual subjectively experiences his/her relationships with others) are related to quality of life among physicians.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this cross-sectional mail survey, 602 physicians from Botucatu, SP, Brazil, were sent a socio-demographic questionnaire, the Bell Object Relations and Reality Testing Inventory-Form O (BORRTI-O), the Defense Style Questionnaire-40 (DSQ-40), and the World Health Organization Abbreviated Instrument for Quality of Life Assessment (WHOQOL-BREF).
  
  
  RESULTS
  198 questionnaires (33%) with valid responses were obtained. High BORRTI-O scores (indicative of pathology) on the alienation, egocentricity and insecure attachment subscales were associated with reduced WHOQOL-BREF scores for the psychological health and social relationship domains. Immature ego defense mechanisms were associated with lower WHOQOL-BREF scores for all domains. No significant associations of WHOQOL-BREF scores with working hours, workplace or monthly income were observed in the study population
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  WHOQOL-BREF scores correlated with mature defense mechanisms and normal object relations, suggesting an association between psychological maturity and quality of life among physicians.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua Dr. Ovídio Pires de Campos no. 785, 05403-010 São Paulo SP, Brazil. Electronic address: beneditomiranda.botucatu@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Benedito
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Miranda
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychiatry, Hospital das Clinicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua Dr. Ovídio Pires de Campos no. 785, 05403-010 São Paulo SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mário Rodrigues
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Louzã
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003674:Defense Mechanisms; D004532:Ego; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009769:Object Attachment; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D057566:Self Report; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014944:World Health Organization