Increasing Mentalization to Reduce Maladaptive Defense in Patients With Mental Disorders

Hayden, Markus; Müllauer, Pia K; Beyer, Klea J P; Gaugeler, Richard; Senft, Birgit; Dehoust, Maria Christina; Andreas, Sylke

doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2021.637915

Cited by 17 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 67 publications

(105 reference statements)

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“…Such people experience increased anxiety and concern and feel like they are no longer in control of their own lives. Previous studies show that mentalization improves mental health condition and reduces maladaptive defense mechanisms, which may explain the relationship between better-developed mentalization ability and also stress reduction in chronically ill patients [ 29 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mentalization and Its Relation to Life Satisfaction and the Level of Mental Adjustment to Illness in Women with Breast Cancer—A Pilot Study

Cieślak

Kozaka²,

Golińska

et al. 2022

IJERPH

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This study’s aim was assessing of the relationship between mentalization and life satisfaction and the level of adaptation to oncological disease in patients with breast cancer. The study involved 41 women (M = 59.88; SD = 8.81) with breast cancer who completed their treatments and participated in a cancer rehabilitation program. In the study, we used the Mentalization Questionnaire (MZQ), the Satisfaction Life Scale (SWLS), and the Mini-Mental Adjustment to Cancer Scale (Mini-MAC). The mean of declared level of mentalization was 45.54 (SD = 11.65). The significant correlation between mentalization (its general value and individual dimensions) and satisfaction with life/mental adjustment to cancer was observed. The strongest positive correlations were noted between refusing self-reflection, helplessness–hopelessness, and anxious preoccupation and the negative correlation between mentalization and satisfaction with life. Mentalization was a predictor of satisfaction with life and mental adjustment to illness. Mentalization was related with life satisfaction and adjustment to cancer in patients with breast cancer, which is in line with previous studies suggesting the crucial role of subjective psychological factors in maintaining mental health.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mentalization and Its Relation to Life Satisfaction and the Level of Mental Adjustment to Illness in Women with Breast Cancer—A Pilot Study

Cieślak

Kozaka²,

Golińska

et al. 2022

IJERPH

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“…Traumatic experiences can provoke a decrease in overall defensive functioning and increase the use of mental inhibition defense mechanisms, also called neurotic defenses. Individuals who have experience trauma tend to use defense mechanisms as repression, dissociation, and isolation of affects in order to protect themselves from the awareness of stressful experience that they cannot fully manage [ 46 , 47 ]; this allows them to maintain emotional distance from feeling or ideas associated with the stressor. High-adaptive defense mechanisms, also called mature defenses, moderate the individual’s adjustment to stressful conditions and foster resilience [ 48 , 49 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stress, Burnout, and Resilience among Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Emergency: The Role of Defense Mechanisms

Giuseppe

Nepa²,

Prout

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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The experience of working on the frontlines of the COVID-19 healthcare crisis has presented a cumulative traumatic experience that affects healthcare professionals’ well-being. Psychological resources such as resilience and adaptive defense mechanisms are essential in protecting individuals from severe stress and burnout. During September 2020, 233 healthcare workers responded to an online survey to test the impact of demographic variables, COVID-19 exposure, and psychological resources in determining stress and burnout during the COVID-19 emergency. Frontline workers reported higher scores for stress, emotional exhaustion, and depersonalization (p < 0.001) as compared to colleagues working in units not directly serving patients with COVID-19. Mature defensive functioning was associated with resilience and personal accomplishment (r = 0.320; p < 0.001), while neurotic and immature defenses were related to perceived stress and burnout. Stress and burnout were predicted by lower age, female gender, greater exposure to COVID-19, lower resilience, and immature defensive functioning among healthcare professionals (R2 = 463; p < 0.001). Working on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic appears to provoke greater stress and burnout. On the other hand, resilience and adaptive defense mechanisms predicted better adjustment. Future reaction plans should promote effective programs offering support for healthcare workers who provide direct care to patients with COVID-19.

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“…Bond reviewed the published studies about the relationships of defense styles with psychopathology and change and proposed that defense styles should become more adaptive with improvement in symptoms, but intermediate defenses tended to become stable over time ( 19 ). Recently, Hayden et al also demonstrated that maladaptive defense mechanisms were significantly reduced during inpatient therapy and remained low until follow-up, whereas neurotic (intermediate) and adaptive defense mechanisms did not change significantly ( 5 ). In other words, intermediate defenses have been found to be a trait-like factor among the three defense factors.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Psychological defense mechanisms represent a crucial component of individual capacity to maintain emotional homeostasis. Without them the conscious mind would be much more vulnerable to negatively charged emotional input, such as that pertaining to anxiety and sadness ( 4 , 5 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Association of Neurotensin Receptor 1 Gene Polymorphisms With Defense Mechanisms in Healthy Chinese

Zhang³

et al. 2021

Front. Psychiatry

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Aims: In the central nerve system, neurotensin (NT), and neurotensin receptor 1 (NTR1) modulate the dopamine system. Gene variations in the dopamine system have been demonstrated to influence certain defense mechanisms, but no studies have investigated possible effect of NTR1 gene polymorphisms in the biological determination of these defenses. The present study therefore examined this link.Methods: In 412 healthy Han Chinese, single nucleotide polymorphisms rs6090453C/G, rs6011914C/G, and rs2427422A/G of the NTR1 gene were genotyped, and the defense mechanisms were measured by the self-reporting Defense Style Questionnaire 88.Results: Significant male-specific differences in the projective identification among the rs6090453 genotypes (p = 0.003); in the intermediate defense, reaction formation, and projective identification among the rs6011914 genotypes (p = 0.011, 0.010, and 0.011, respectively); and in the projective identification among the rs2427422 genotypes (p = 0.005) were found when the level of significance was adjusted by the Bonferroni correction. There was no significant difference in any of the defense scores among genotypes of any single nucleotide polymorphism in the total cohort or female subjects (all p > 0.017). The distributions of genotypes between the low and high score subgroups showed significant differences in the rs2427422 genotype distributions for help-rejecting complaining, regression, and projective identification (p = 0.010, 0.022, and 0.044, respectively). Significant differences were found between males and females in 10 defense mechanisms (all P < 0.05).Conclusions: The gene variations in the NTR1 polymorphisms were involved in the biological mechanisms of intermediate defense mechanisms, and this effect was influenced by sex.

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Increasing Mentalization to Reduce Maladaptive Defense in Patients With Mental Disorders

Cited by 17 publications

References 67 publications

Mentalization and Its Relation to Life Satisfaction and the Level of Mental Adjustment to Illness in Women with Breast Cancer—A Pilot Study

Mentalization and Its Relation to Life Satisfaction and the Level of Mental Adjustment to Illness in Women with Breast Cancer—A Pilot Study

Stress, Burnout, and Resilience among Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Emergency: The Role of Defense Mechanisms

Association of Neurotensin Receptor 1 Gene Polymorphisms With Defense Mechanisms in Healthy Chinese

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