Ego Defense Patterns in Manic-Depressive Illness
STEVEN L. ABLON M.D.1,
GABRIELLE A. CARLSON M.D.2, , and
FREDERICK K. GOODWIN M.D.3
1 Fellow in Child Psychiatry, Children's Center, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Mass.
2 Staff Psychiatrist, Child Center of Our Lady of Grace, St. Louis, Mo.
3 Chief, Children's Center, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Mass.
The authors studied ego defense patterns longitudinally in 36 hospitalized manic-depressive patients using the Ego Profile Scale. Hypochondriacal and somatization defense patterns were found to be more prominent in unipolar patients at times of stress, whereas in bipolar patients an increase in these defenses often signaled an imminent change in affective state—especially the switch out of mania. Increased tolerance of anxiety appeared to correlate with better prognosis.
