Beyond splitting: Observer-rated defense mechanisms in borderline personality disorder.

Details

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State: Public
Version: Author's accepted manuscript
Serval ID
serval:BIB_15CDC7010322
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
Beyond splitting: Observer-rated defense mechanisms in borderline personality disorder.
Journal
Psychoanalytic Psychology
Author(s)
Kramer Ueli, de Roten Yves, Perry J. Christopher, Despland Jean-Nicolas
ISSN
1939-1331
0736-9735
Publication state
Published
Issued date
01/2013
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
30
Number
1
Pages
3-15
Language
english
Abstract
Defense mechanism is a key concept in the psychoanalytic psychopathology of borderline personality disorder (BPD). Theoretical and empirical elaborations on this question are briefly reviewed and discussed with respect to process assessment of defense mechanisms; we put forward observer-rater methodology as an accurate means of assessing unconscious in-session processes. A sample of 25 patients presenting with BPD were interviewed, as were subjects from a matched control group without psychiatric symptoms (n = 25), using a psychodynamic interview paradigm. These interviews were transcribed and rated using the Defense Mechanisms Rating Scales. The results indicate that, compared to controls, patients with BPD used higher percentages of a action, borderline, disavowal, narcissistic, and hysteric defenses, along with lower levels of mature and obsessional defenses. Overall defensive functioning was significantly lower in the patients with BPD, compared to controls. Narcissistic defenses were related with symptom level. These results are discussed in light of previous studies on defensive functioning of BPD and the literature on psychoanalytic psychopathology. These results have several important clinical implications.
Keywords
Clinical Psychology
Web of science
Open Access
Yes
Create date
07/02/2013 16:14
Last modification date
20/08/2019 12:45
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