Going Beyond the Visible in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Defense Mechanisms and Their Associations With Depression and Health-Related Quality of Life

Abstract

Introduction: Clinical psychological features may impact a person's aptitude to deal with chronic diseases, leading to emotional distress, suffering, and a worse perceived quality of life (QoL). Chronic diseases are largely represented, and their incidence is constantly increasing all over the world. Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is one of the most common chronic diseases and it is very difficult to manage, demanding long term self-management, which improves the perceived QoL. The aim of this study was to explore defense mechanisms, depression, QoL, time since diagnosis, and metabolic control in T2DM patients. Methods: 51 patients with T2DM were assessed through a psychodiagnostic battery: Beck Depression Inventory-II, the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey, including indexes of Physical and Mental Component Summary and the Defense Mechanisms Inventory. Times since DM diagnosis and glycated hemoglobin values were detected. Results: Participants were mainly female (62.74%), with a mean age of 66.1 years. T2DM time since diagnosis was 11.77 years (SD = 7.1). Mild depression was detected (with an overall score between 13 and 19). Projection was significantly associated with higher depression and with lower physical well-being; Principalization was negatively associated with depression and positively with both physical and mental well-being. Turning Against Self correlated positively with physical well-being and negatively with mental well-being. Reversal was associated with lower depression and higher mental well-being. A negative high correlation emerged between depression and mental wellbeing. Finally, a significant relationship was found between Projection and higher time since diagnosis (r = 0.31, p < 0.05).

Mindfulness, Compassion, and Self-Compassion Among Health Care Professionals: What's New? A Systematic Review

“…Mindfulness propensity is known as facilitators of well-being and adaptation for healthcare professionals, together with high adaptive defense mechanisms (Catalano et al, 2019 ; Di Giuseppe et al, 2019a , 2020a , c ; Martino et al, 2020a ). Moreover, mindfulness interventions proved to be very helpful in reducing the psychopathological symptomatology of chronic conditions (Bonadonna, 2003 ; Catalano et al, 2017 ; Poli et al, 2017 , 2019 ; Conversano and Marchi, 2018 ; Marchini et al, 2018 ; Conversano, 2019 ; Di Giuseppe et al, 2019b , 2020b ; Martino et al, 2019a , b , 2020b ; Merlo, 2019 ; Conversano et al, 2020a ; Lenzo et al, 2020 ; Poli et al, 2020 ).…”

Preliminary Reliability and Validity of the DMRS-SR-30, a Novel Self-Report Measure Based on the Defense Mechanisms Rating Scales

“…This concept was further conceptualized by Anna Freud as adaptive ego strategies that enables the mind to reach compromise solutions to conflicts that the individual is unable to resolve ( 2 ). More than a century of theory and research advances have demonstrated that defense mechanisms are relevant to understand personality functioning, the development of ego strengths, subjective reaction to stress, physical and mental health conditions, quality of relationships, and therapeutic process outcome ( 3 – 11 ). Several studies demonstrated that the progression of chronic medical conditions is associated with the patient’s psychological responses to illness-related stress ( 12 – 22 ), which can also indirectly affect psychological well-being of the patient’s caregivers ( 23 , 24 ).…”

Quality of life and psychological functioning in postmenopausal women undergoing aromatase inhibitor treatment for early breast cancer

“…AIs treatment has been associated with adverse events such as increased bone loss, musculoskeletal pain, impaired lipid profile and cardiovascular risk, but also with mood disturbances, anxiety and memory deficit [6][7][8]. Physical and psychological side effects seriously impair women's psychological balance and perceived QoL and may negatively influence the participation in medical care and adherence to every fundamental prescription [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17]. In fact, several studies demonstrate the importance played by traumatic factors both on mental health and mood which could also lead to an increased suicidal risk and cognitive decline [18][19][20][21][22][23][24].…”