Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Depressive Disorders: Etiology01:27

Depressive Disorders: Etiology

237
Depressive disorders result from a complex interplay of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors, each contributing uniquely to the development and persistence of the condition. Understanding these factors provides critical insight into the multifaceted nature of depression.
Biological Factors in Depression
Biological predispositions significantly influence the risk of developing depressive disorders. Genetic studies highlight the role of variations in the serotonin transporter...
237
Depression: Overview01:18

Depression: Overview

526
Depression is a prevalent mental illness marked by persistent sadness and lack of interest in previously enjoyable activities. It can take several forms, including major depression, persistent depressive disorder, and bipolar I and II disorders. Symptoms range from emotional changes like chronic worry to physical changes like sleep disturbances and suicidal thoughts. From a neurobiological perspective, depression is believed to be triggered by abnormalities in the brain's prefrontal cortex,...
526
Antidepressant Drugs: MAOIs and Other Agents01:23

Antidepressant Drugs: MAOIs and Other Agents

547
Atypical antidepressants, including bupropion (Wellbutrin), mirtazapine (Remeron), nefazodone (Serzone), trazodone (Desyrel), and vilazodone (Viibryd), offer unique mechanisms of action. Bupropion weakly inhibits dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake, aiding depression treatment and smoking cessation, with a low risk of sexual dysfunction. Mirtazapine enhances serotonin and norepinephrine neurotransmission, leading to sedation, increased appetite, and weight gain. As a result, it helps treat...
547
Cognitive Therapy01:25

Cognitive Therapy

600
Cognitive therapy, pioneered by Aaron T. Beck in the 1960s, is a structured approach to addressing psychological distress by focusing on the influence of thoughts on emotions and behaviors. All cognitive therapies involve the basic assumption that human beings have control over their feelings, and that how individuals feel about something depends on how they think about it. Unlike psychoanalytic methods that delve into unconscious processes or humanistic approaches emphasizing...
600
Treatment Strategies for Psychological Disorders01:24

Treatment Strategies for Psychological Disorders

404
Treatment approaches for psychological disorders fall into three main categories: psychological, biological, and sociocultural. Each approach targets different aspects of mental health, requiring varying levels of education and training.
Psychological therapies focus on modifying emotions, thoughts, and behaviors through talking, interpreting, listening, rewarding, challenging, and modeling. Clinical psychologists, counselors, and social workers commonly practice psychotherapy. Clinical...
404
Psychosis: Goals of Pharmacotherapy01:26

Psychosis: Goals of Pharmacotherapy

308
Antipsychotic drugs are a crucial treatment method for acute and chronic psychoses, bipolar illness, and behavioral disorders. The selection of these drugs depends on several factors, including the state of the disease, clinical judgment, possible drug interactions, and the patient's sensitivity to adverse effects. In immediate scenarios, such as delirium and dementia, short-term treatment with low doses of high-potency typical or atypical agents can effectively manage symptom exacerbation.
308

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Follow-up effects of a brief Good Psychiatric Management treatment for borderline personality disorder.

Borderline personality disorder and emotion dysregulation·2026
Same author

Predicting Change in Brief Treatment for BPD: The Role of Defensive Functioning and Pervasiveness in Relationship Patterns.

Journal of clinical psychology·2026
Same author

Sustaining transformations in psychoanalysis: an interdisciplinary case study on trauma, dreams, and memory reconsolidation.

Frontiers in psychology·2026
Same author

Star personalities on the winners' podium: Exploring dysfunctional personalities in elite athletes.

Acta psychologica·2026
Same author

Acceptable or Not: An In-depth Analysis of Adolescent Competitive Athletes' Perceptions on Abusive Coaching Behaviors.

Journal of interpersonal violence·2025
Same author

Emotional processing as mechanism of change in brief good psychiatric management for borderline personality disorder: results of a randomized controlled trial.

BMC psychiatry·2024

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 10, 2025

Network Pharmacology and Validation of the Antidepressant Mechanisms of Qiangzhifang in a Chronic Restraint Stress-induced Depression Rat Model
08:15

Network Pharmacology and Validation of the Antidepressant Mechanisms of Qiangzhifang in a Chronic Restraint Stress-induced Depression Rat Model

Published on: June 6, 2025

333

Defense Mechanisms and Treatment Response in Depressed Inpatients.

Yves de Roten1, Slimane Djillali1, Fabienne Crettaz von Roten2

  • 1Institute of Psychotherapy, Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Center and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.

Frontiers in Psychology
|April 5, 2021
PubMed
Summary

Mature and immature defense mechanisms predict treatment response in brief psychodynamic psychotherapy for depression. Analyzing psychotic defenses further improves prediction of patient outcomes in this therapy.

Keywords:
brief psychotherapydefensedepressioninpatientpsychodynamic psychotherapypsychotic defensetreatment response

More Related Videos

MRI-guided dmPFC-rTMS as a Treatment for Treatment-resistant Major Depressive Disorder
08:20

MRI-guided dmPFC-rTMS as a Treatment for Treatment-resistant Major Depressive Disorder

Published on: August 11, 2015

14.2K
Individualized rTMS Treatment for Depression using an fMRI-Based Targeting Method
07:12

Individualized rTMS Treatment for Depression using an fMRI-Based Targeting Method

Published on: August 2, 2021

3.8K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Nov 10, 2025

Network Pharmacology and Validation of the Antidepressant Mechanisms of Qiangzhifang in a Chronic Restraint Stress-induced Depression Rat Model
08:15

Network Pharmacology and Validation of the Antidepressant Mechanisms of Qiangzhifang in a Chronic Restraint Stress-induced Depression Rat Model

Published on: June 6, 2025

333
MRI-guided dmPFC-rTMS as a Treatment for Treatment-resistant Major Depressive Disorder
08:20

MRI-guided dmPFC-rTMS as a Treatment for Treatment-resistant Major Depressive Disorder

Published on: August 11, 2015

14.2K
Individualized rTMS Treatment for Depression using an fMRI-Based Targeting Method
07:12

Individualized rTMS Treatment for Depression using an fMRI-Based Targeting Method

Published on: August 2, 2021

3.8K

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Psychiatry
  • Clinical Psychology

Background:

  • Recurrent and chronic depression require effective psychotherapeutic interventions.
  • Brief psychodynamic psychotherapy is a recognized treatment modality.
  • Understanding predictors of treatment response is crucial for optimizing care.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the predictive value of defensive functioning and defense mechanisms on treatment outcomes in brief psychodynamic psychotherapy.
  • To investigate changes in defense mechanisms during therapy and their relation to symptom improvement.
  • To assess the role of psychotic defenses in predicting treatment response.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of a subsample of 41 patients from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of brief inpatient psychodynamic psychotherapy.
  • Transcription and coding of therapy sessions using the Defense Mechanism Rating Scales (DMRS) and Psychotic Defense Mechanism Rating Scales (P-DMRS).
  • Treatment response defined as >=46% reduction in Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) scores.

Main Results:

  • Defensive functioning and defense mechanisms (mature and immature) changed during psychotherapy and predicted treatment response.
  • Defenses observed throughout therapy predicted treatment response at 12-month follow-up.
  • Inclusion of psychotic defenses enhanced the prediction of treatment response.

Conclusions:

  • Defensive functioning is a valid predictor of treatment outcomes in psychodynamic psychotherapy.
  • Changes in defense mechanisms represent a mechanism of change during therapy.
  • Incorporating the assessment of psychotic defenses can improve the prediction of treatment success in depressed patients.