Original scientific paper

Defence Mechanisms in Addicts

Ante Bagarić ; University Psychiatric Hospital Vrapče
Mihovil Bagarić ; University Hospital Centre Sestre milosrdnice, Zagreb, Croatia
Zvonimir Paštar ; University Hospital for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Furtbacjkrankenhaus, Stuttgart, Germany

Abstract

This paper investigates the correlation between defence mechanisms and other parameters of addiction (age, gender,
marital and work status, type of addiction, and length and severity of addiction). Research findings have shown that
dominant defence mechanisms in addicts are apathetic withdrawal, devaluation, denial, repression, projection, project
identification and rationalization. These results also showed that there are differences in all of the above-mentioned
parameters. In women, addiction develops considerably less often than in men, but when addiction develops it has
a heavier form (more often, immature defence mechanisms are present). Alcohol and gambling addictions are more
associated with repression, rationalization, denial and projection, and addiction to drugs and the internet with apathetic
withdrawal, devaluation and projective identification. Further research on defence mechanisms in addicts will significantly
contribute to further progress in diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.

Keywords

Defence mechanisms; Addiction

Hrčak ID:

203818

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/203818

Publication date:

19.7.2018.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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