DEFENSE-MECHANISM TEST (DMT) AND KERNBERGS THEORY OF PERSONALITY ORGANIZATION RELATED TO ADOLESCENTS IN PSYCHIATRIC-CARE

Authors
FRANSSON P SUNDBOM E
Citation
P. Fransson et E. Sundbom, DEFENSE-MECHANISM TEST (DMT) AND KERNBERGS THEORY OF PERSONALITY ORGANIZATION RELATED TO ADOLESCENTS IN PSYCHIATRIC-CARE, Scandinavian journal of psychology, 38(2), 1997, pp. 95-102
Citations number
38
Categorie Soggetti
Psychology
Journal title
Scandinavian journal of psychology → ACNP
ISSN journal
00365564
Volume
38
Issue
2
Year of publication
1997
Pages
95 - 102
Database
ISI
SICI code
0036-5564(1997)38:2<95:DT(AKT>2.0.ZU;2-X
Abstract
75 adolescent psychiatric patients were diagnosed with the perceptual projective test the Defense Mechanism Test (DMT) and also according to Kernberg's theory of personality organization (PO). The test protocol s were scored in respect of 130 DMT variables and analyzed by means of partial least squares (PLS) discriminant analysis. The objective was to try to separate the three types of PO, psychotic (PPO), borderline (BPO) and neurotic (NPO) by means of the DMT and also to compare the r esults with a similar study on adult psychiatric patients. The results showed that it is possible to separate significantly the three groups of PO. The BPO group seemed to be heterogeneous. The results were fai rly similar to those obtained with adult psychiatric patients. The ove rall results supported the concurrent validity of Kernberg's theory of PO and for the DMT as well. The DMT seems to be a useful diagnostic m ethod in respect of adolescent psychiatric patients.