A comparative study of adolescents in psychiatric care assessed by means of the Defense Mechanism Test and the DSM-IV classification system

Twenty-seven adolescents in psychiatric care, assessed by means of DSM-IV, and 33 healthy controls were tested using the projective percept-genetic De fense Mechanism Test (DMT). Three diagnostic subgroups were created: psycho tic (Axis 1), borderline personality disorder (Axis 2), and a non-patient g roup. The test protocols were scored with regard to 130 DMT variables and a nalyzed by means of partial least squares (PLS) discriminant analysis and b y means of a pattern analysis of the DMT variables. The results showed that it was possible to distinguish significantly among the three groups. Speci fic perceptual distortions were identified among the three groups. It was c oncluded that DMT is a promising instrument in the assessment of adolescent s in psychiatric care.