Panic disorder and the Defence Mechanism Test

Abstract

The aim was to study defence categories according to the modified version of the Defence Mechanism Test (DMTm) and to see if there was a relationship between DMTm and severity of illness. The material consists of 23 patients with panic disorder according to DSM-III-R who participated in a long-term follow-up of two clinical trials. The most common defence categories were repression, denial, disavowal or denial of the threat relation or of the identity of the peripheral person. The patients with denial or polymorphous identification had more severe symptoms and the latter group also were more handicapped by their symptoms. Denial and disavowal or denial of the threat relation may be defence categories, which are not so effective in preventing the individual from experiencing anxiety. Polymorphous identification, although not so common, does not seem to be an appropriate defence among patients with panic disorder.