A Study of Personality Factor and Defense Mechanism in Panic Disorder Patients

Shim, Jin Hyun; Baek, Sang Bin; Shin, Young Chul; Oh, Kang Seob; Noh, Kyung Sun; Lee, Si Hyung

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of personality factor and defense mechanism and relationship with depression and social disability.
METHODS
Study subjects consisted of 35 panic disorder patients diagnosed with the criteria of DSM-IV. Data were collected through Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire, Ehwa Diagnostic Test of Defense Mechanism, Beck Depression Inventory and Sheehan Disability Scale. Statistics employed for the analyses were Pearson correlation and independent sample t-test.
RESULTS
In personality factors and defense mechanisms, there were no definitely abnormal range of scores. But, among personality factors, tension/anxiety factor scored high and unstableness/stableness, shyness/boldness and praxernia/atunia were in low range of score. In defense mechanism, somaticzation and acting-out scored high and humor, suppression, altruism, avoidance and rationalization scored low. The mean BDI score was 18.25+/-9.97. The mean score of SDS were 4.88+/-3.11 in work category and 4.57+/-2.92 in social/leasure category. Male patients were significantly correlated with guit-proneness and atuia in personality factor and passive- aggressiveness, projection, denial and show-off in defense mechanism, compared with female patients (p<0.05). The patients' age was correlated with low intelligence in persolity factor and dissociation and anticipation in defense mechanism. It was negatively correlated with show-off (p<0.05). The BDI score was correlated with low intelligence, superego, unstableness, self-conflict, high superego and atunia in personality factor and dissociation and somatization in defense mechanism (p<0.05). There was a significant relationship between BDI score and SDS work category (p<0.05).
CONCLUSION
Panic disorder patients show high score of tension/anxiety factor and they frequently use neurotic defense style like somatization. The depressive symptom, which depends on symptom severity, appears to have influence on work category and to cause social disability.