DEFENSE-MECHANISMS IN ALCOHOLICS ATTENDING OUTPATIENT TREATMENT - RESULTS FROM THE MCT-TEST (META-CONTRAST TECHNIQUE)

Defensive strategies were studied in 72 alcoholics participating in Ou tpatient treatment by using, before the treatment started, the Meta-Co ntrast Technique, MCT, a percept-genetic method. Alcoholics had less o ften adaptive strategies than controls. A lack of adaptive defense str ategies was related to a more impaired psychic status, more psychologi cal benefits from drinking, and more psychiatric symptoms but not to s everity of alcoholism or results of psychometric tests (intellectual l evel, field-dependence, spatial performance). It does not seem inconce ivable that the MCT could be used as a diagnostic tool in treatment pl anning.