Primitive defense mechanisms in schizophrenics and borderline patients

In this study, patients with neurotic disorders, borderline patients, acute schizophrenics, and chronic schizophrenics were studied with regard to pri mitive defense mechanisms. Primitive defense mechanisms were assessed by me ans of the Lerner Defense Scale (LDS). In this study, the LDS was applied t o the Holtzman Inkblot Technique. With the exception of primitive idealizat ion, borderline patients used all primitive defense mechanisms significantl y more frequently than patients with neurotic disorders, that is, splitting , projective identification, primitive denial, and primitive devaluation. C ompared with both acute and chronic schizophrenics, borderline patients use d primitive devaluation at a significantly higher degree of frequency. Both acute and chronic schizophrenics differed from patients with neurotic diso rders by using splitting and projective identification significantly more f requently. However, there were differences concerning primitive devaluation and idealization. The defense structure of chronic schizophrenics was hete rogenous. Except for primitive idealization, all primitive defense mechanis ms correlated significantly with self-report measures of identity diffusion and impaired reality testing, which is consistent with theoretical assumpt ions. By a discriminant analysis, 90% of the borderline patients, 80% of th e patients with neurotic disorders, 76% of the acute schizophrenics, and 92 % of the chronic schizophrenics were classified correctly.