[The role of defense mechanisms in conflict and structure in the operationalized psychodynamic diagnosis]

Defense mechanisms are considered central (unconscious) processes of affect and conflict regulation in psychodynamic theory. Empirical findings on their role in relation to structure and conflicts remain limited. The aim of the present study was to examine the associations between defense styles (adaptive, neurotic, maladaptive), structural impairments, conflict modes (active vs. passive), and depressive symptoms.

A large clinical sample (N=2480) was investigated. Defense was assessed with the defense style questionnaire (DSQ-40), structure with the short version of the OPD structure questionnaire (OPD-SQS), conflicts with the short version of the OPD conflict questionnaire (OPD-KF36) and depressive symptoms with the respective subscale of the patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9). Correlations, partial correlations, and hierarchical multiple linear regression models were conducted.

Lower levels of defense maturity were associated with greater structural impairment and higher depressive symptoms. Passive conflict modes were mostly related to neurotic and maladaptive defense, while active modes were also linked to adaptive defense. These effects remained robust after controlling for depressive symptoms. Structure and conflicts emerged as independent predictors of defense, yet conflicts were found to be more predictive for adaptive and neurotic defense mechanisms compared to structure.

The findings demonstrate that defense mechanisms play a crucial for both structure and conflicts.