Defense styles in Intermittent Explosive Disorder

• Published in: Psychiatry research Vol. 238; pp. 137 - 142
• Main Authors: Puhalla, Alexander A., McCloskey, Michael S., Brickman, Lauren J., Fauber, Robert, Coccaro, Emil F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ireland Elsevier B.V 30.04.2016
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aggression - psychology; Anger; Case-Control Studies; Defense Mechanisms; Defense styles; Defensive; Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders - psychology; Female; Humans; Intermittent Explosive Disorder; Male; Middle Aged; Personality disorder; Personality Disorders - psychology; Psychiatry; Style; Sublimation, Psychological; Surveys and Questionnaires; Young Adult; Intermittent Explosive Disorder; Style; Defense styles; Defensive; Personality disorder; defense styles; Personality Disorder
• ISSN: 0165-1781; 1872-7123; 1872-7123
• DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2016.02.019

The overreliance on immature and/or neurotic defense mechanisms, as opposed to more mature defensive functioning has been linked to several psychiatric disorders. However, to date, the role of defense styles among individuals with Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED) has not been examined. Given that individuals with IED display difficulties controlling their anger and aggression, one might expect these individuals to exhibit more immature and less mature defense styles. The current study compared participants with IED to a personality disorder (PD) comparison group, as well as to healthy volunteers (HV) on the Defense Style Questionnaire, a self-report measure that assesses the extent to which individuals endorse using mature, immature, and neurotic defense styles. Subjects with IED had significantly higher scores than both comparison groups on immature defense styles and exhibited lower scores on mature defense mechanisms. Hierarchical regression of significant defense style subscales showed that higher levels of acting out and lower levels of sublimation uniquely discriminated participants with IED from the PD and HV comparison groups. •IED subjects had higher scores on immature defense styles and lower scores on mature defense styles than both control groups.•IED subjects were less likely to utilize sublimation and suppression compared to both control groups.•IED subjects used projection, passive aggression, and acting out more than both control groups.•IED is discriminated from healthy and psychiatric controls by lower levels of sublimation and higher levels of acting out.