Ego defense mechanisms in Pakistani medical students: a cross sectional analysis. 2010

Maria A Parekh, and Hina Majeed, and Tuba R Khan, and Anum B Khan, and Salman Khalid, and Nadia M Khwaja, and Roha Khalid, and Mohammad A Khan, and Ibrahim M Rizqui, and Imtiaz Jehan
Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan. maria_afridi1193@yahoo.com

BACKGROUND Ego defense mechanisms (or factors), defined by Freud as unconscious resources used by the ego to reduce conflict between the id and superego, are a reflection of how an individual deals with conflict and stress. This study assesses the prevalence of various ego defense mechanisms employed by medical students of Karachi, which is a group with higher stress levels than the general population. METHODS A questionnaire based cross-sectional study was conducted on 682 students from five major medical colleges of Karachi over 4 weeks in November 2006. Ego defense mechanisms were assessed using the Defense Style Questionnaire (DSQ-40) individually and as grouped under Mature, Immature, and Neurotic factors. RESULTS Lower mean scores of Immature defense mechanisms (4.78) were identified than those for Neurotic (5.62) and Mature (5.60) mechanisms among medical students of Karachi. Immature mechanisms were more commonly employed by males whereas females employed more Neurotic mechanisms than males. Neurotic and Immature defenses were significantly more prevalent in first and second year students. Mature mechanisms were significantly higher in students enrolled in Government colleges than Private institutions (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Immature defense mechanisms were less commonly employed than Neurotic and Mature mechanisms among medical students of Karachi. The greater employment of Neurotic defenses may reflect greater stress levels than the general population. Employment of these mechanisms was associated with female gender, enrollment in a private medical college, and students enrolled in the first 2 years of medical school.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008016 Life Change Events Those occurrences, including social, psychological, and environmental, which require an adjustment or effect a change in an individual's pattern of living. Life Course,Life Crises,Life Crisis,Life Experiences,Course, Life,Crisis, Life,Event, Life Change,Experience, Life,Life Change Event,Life Courses,Life Experience
D008297 Male Males
D009497 Neurotic Disorders Disorders in which the symptoms are distressing to the individual and recognized by him or her as being unacceptable. Social relationships may be greatly affected but usually remain within acceptable limits. The disturbance is relatively enduring or recurrent without treatment. Neuroses,Psychoneuroses,Disorder, Neurotic,Disorders, Neurotic,Neurotic Disorder
D010154 Pakistan A country located in southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea, between India on the east and Iran and Afghanistan on the west and China in the north. The capital is Islamabad. Islamic Republic of Pakistan
D010555 Personality Inventory Check list, usually to be filled out by a person about himself, consisting of many statements about personal characteristics which the subject checks. Edwards Personal Preference Schedule,Myers-Briggs Type Indicator,Indicator, Myers-Briggs Type,Inventories, Personality,Inventory, Personality,Myers Briggs Type Indicator,Personality Inventories
D011594 Psychometrics Assessment of psychological variables by the application of mathematical procedures. Psychometric
D011795 Surveys and Questionnaires Collections of data obtained from voluntary subjects. The information usually takes the form of answers to questions, or suggestions. Community Survey,Nonrespondent,Questionnaire,Questionnaires,Respondent,Survey,Survey Method,Survey Methods,Surveys,Baseline Survey,Community Surveys,Methodology, Survey,Nonrespondents,Questionnaire Design,Randomized Response Technique,Repeated Rounds of Survey,Respondents,Survey Methodology,Baseline Surveys,Design, Questionnaire,Designs, Questionnaire,Methods, Survey,Questionnaire Designs,Questionnaires and Surveys,Randomized Response Techniques,Response Technique, Randomized,Response Techniques, Randomized,Survey, Baseline,Survey, Community,Surveys, Baseline,Surveys, Community,Techniques, Randomized Response
D003220 Conflict, Psychological The internal individual struggle resulting from incompatible or opposing needs, drives, or external and internal demands. In group interactions, competitive or opposing action of incompatibles: antagonistic state or action (as of divergent ideas, interests, or persons). (from Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 10th ed) Conflict, Psychology,Psychological Conflict,Psychological Conflicts
D003430 Cross-Sectional Studies Studies in which the presence or absence of disease or other health-related variables are determined in each member of the study population or in a representative sample at one particular time. This contrasts with LONGITUDINAL STUDIES which are followed over a period of time. Disease Frequency Surveys,Prevalence Studies,Analysis, Cross-Sectional,Cross Sectional Analysis,Cross-Sectional Survey,Surveys, Disease Frequency,Analyses, Cross Sectional,Analyses, Cross-Sectional,Analysis, Cross Sectional,Cross Sectional Analyses,Cross Sectional Studies,Cross Sectional Survey,Cross-Sectional Analyses,Cross-Sectional Analysis,Cross-Sectional Study,Cross-Sectional Surveys,Disease Frequency Survey,Prevalence Study,Studies, Cross-Sectional,Studies, Prevalence,Study, Cross-Sectional,Study, Prevalence,Survey, Cross-Sectional,Survey, Disease Frequency,Surveys, Cross-Sectional
D003674 Defense Mechanisms Unconscious process used by an individual or a group of individuals in order to cope with impulses, feelings or ideas which are not acceptable at their conscious level; various types include reaction formation, projection and self reversal. Mechanisms, Defense

Related Publications

Maria A Parekh, and Hina Majeed, and Tuba R Khan, and Anum B Khan, and Salman Khalid, and Nadia M Khwaja, and Roha Khalid, and Mohammad A Khan, and Ibrahim M Rizqui, and Imtiaz Jehan
January 2021, Journal of the Indian Society of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry,
Maria A Parekh, and Hina Majeed, and Tuba R Khan, and Anum B Khan, and Salman Khalid, and Nadia M Khwaja, and Roha Khalid, and Mohammad A Khan, and Ibrahim M Rizqui, and Imtiaz Jehan
September 2016, Psychiatry research,
Maria A Parekh, and Hina Majeed, and Tuba R Khan, and Anum B Khan, and Salman Khalid, and Nadia M Khwaja, and Roha Khalid, and Mohammad A Khan, and Ibrahim M Rizqui, and Imtiaz Jehan
June 1983, Psychiatric medicine,
Maria A Parekh, and Hina Majeed, and Tuba R Khan, and Anum B Khan, and Salman Khalid, and Nadia M Khwaja, and Roha Khalid, and Mohammad A Khan, and Ibrahim M Rizqui, and Imtiaz Jehan
September 2007, BMC public health,
Maria A Parekh, and Hina Majeed, and Tuba R Khan, and Anum B Khan, and Salman Khalid, and Nadia M Khwaja, and Roha Khalid, and Mohammad A Khan, and Ibrahim M Rizqui, and Imtiaz Jehan
June 2012, The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association,
Maria A Parekh, and Hina Majeed, and Tuba R Khan, and Anum B Khan, and Salman Khalid, and Nadia M Khwaja, and Roha Khalid, and Mohammad A Khan, and Ibrahim M Rizqui, and Imtiaz Jehan
September 2015, Cureus,
Maria A Parekh, and Hina Majeed, and Tuba R Khan, and Anum B Khan, and Salman Khalid, and Nadia M Khwaja, and Roha Khalid, and Mohammad A Khan, and Ibrahim M Rizqui, and Imtiaz Jehan
January 2015, PeerJ,
Maria A Parekh, and Hina Majeed, and Tuba R Khan, and Anum B Khan, and Salman Khalid, and Nadia M Khwaja, and Roha Khalid, and Mohammad A Khan, and Ibrahim M Rizqui, and Imtiaz Jehan
January 2023, Frontiers in medicine,
Maria A Parekh, and Hina Majeed, and Tuba R Khan, and Anum B Khan, and Salman Khalid, and Nadia M Khwaja, and Roha Khalid, and Mohammad A Khan, and Ibrahim M Rizqui, and Imtiaz Jehan
November 1997, Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry,
Maria A Parekh, and Hina Majeed, and Tuba R Khan, and Anum B Khan, and Salman Khalid, and Nadia M Khwaja, and Roha Khalid, and Mohammad A Khan, and Ibrahim M Rizqui, and Imtiaz Jehan
January 1989, Zeitschrift fur Psychosomatische Medizin und Psychoanalyse,
Copied contents to your clipboard!