Suicidal adolescents and ego defense mechanisms. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • OBJECTIVES: To identify defense mechanisms that characterize adolescents with a range of suicidal behaviors and to differentiate them from nonsuicidal adolescents. METHODS: Fifty-five suicidal adolescent inpatients admitted for a definite suicide attempt were compared with 87 adolescent inpatients who had no history of suicide attempt or ideation and 81 nonpatients. Defense mechanisms were assessed by the Ego Defense Scale (EDS) which is part of a larger semistructured interview, the Child Suicide Potential Scale (CSPS), and by a self-report questionnaire, the Life Style Index (LSI). The CSPS was also used to quantity violent and suicidal behaviors. RESULTS: On the LSI suicidal adolescent patients scored higher on denial, displacement, repression, and total defenses than the nonpatients. On the EDS they scored higher on regression, denial, projection, introjection, repression, and total defenses and lower on sublimation. LSI scores on displacement (higher) and on compensation (lower) distinguished suicidal from nonsuicidal inpatients. Denial and regression correlated positively and sublimation correlated negatively with both suicidal and violent behaviors. Introjection and repression correlated with suicidal behavior only. CONCLUSIONS: Overuse of displacement is connected with increased risk for suicidal and aggressive behaviors, while sublimation is probably a protective factor. In addition, several immature ego defenses possibly amplify aggression, which then is directed against the self by the maladaptive overuse of introjection, displacement, and repression.

publication date

  • November 1, 1997

Research

keywords

  • Adolescent Psychiatry
  • Defense Mechanisms
  • Suicide, Attempted
  • Violence

Identity

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 0030773779

PubMed ID

  • 9394936

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 36

issue

  • 11