Recovery from surgery and scores on the Defense Mechanisms Inventory

The validity of a shortened form of the Defense Mechanisms Inventory was examined in a population of adult females undergoing abdominal surgery. Recovery was measured by behavioral, self-report, and endocrine responses. High scorers on REV and low scorers on PRO, TAO, and DMI-AGG, a summary measure of DMI subscales, reported better moods and physical recoveries, used fewer medications for pain, and made less use of medical services during the month after discharge from the hospital. Low scorers on PRO, TAO, and DMI-AGG responded to surgery with increases in epinephrine and norepinephrine. High scorers on PRO, TAO, and DMI-AGG responded to surgery only with increased levels of norepinephrine. Little evidence was found to support interpreting the DMI as a measure of five defensive styles. A single dimension, aggressiveness, was hypothesized to account for variance in recovery explained by the DMI.