Inverse relationship between defensiveness and lifetime prevalence of psychiatric disorder

Article Abstract:

The Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale is a test that was developed in 1960 to measure defensiveness, which is characterized by the tendency of the individual to ignore unfavorable information and to stress his positive attributes. This test has been considered a measure of self-deception or distortion, which may lead to an underestimation of psychiatric problems. However, some studies have shown an inverse correlation between higher scores on the Marlowe-Crowne Desirability Scale and incidence of psychiatric disorder. The Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) was given to three groups, which assessed a variety of psychopathological symptoms, along with the Marlowe-Crowne test. Ninety-eight individuals had been diagnosed as either depressed or normal and were matched for sex and age. In addition, 227 relatives and 55 spouses of these individuals were tested. These results also indicated an inverse correlation between the two tests; individuals with higher scores for defensiveness also had lower scores on the SCL-90 test. Higher scores for defensiveness were also associated with a lower lifetime prevalence of psychiatric disorder. There are two general interpretations that could be made. Either the trait of defensiveness makes individuals more resistant to psychiatric disorders, or defensiveness is associated with the underreporting of psychiatric disorders. The results seemed to indicate that defensiveness was not associated with denial or underreporting, which suggested a relationship between self-deception and mental illness. Also, high scorers on the Marlowe-Crowne scale did not perceive themselves as being subject to depression and anxiety. An ability for self-regulation that promotes emotional stability may be a characteristic of the individuals who scored high for defensiveness. The researchers concluded that the characteristic of defensiveness is protective against mental illness. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Psychological aspects, Usage, Evaluation, Mental health, Protection and preservation, Mental illness, Mental disorders, Defensiveness (Psychology), Psychiatric rating scales, Psychiatric status rating scales

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Interhemispheric transfer deficit and alexithymia

Article Abstract:

Alexithymia is a psychiatric condition in which certain cognitive and affective (mental and emotional) functions are disturbed. Patients typically cannot identify and describe their feelings, lack a fantasy life, and describe physical symptoms rather than the underlying emotions. Alexithymia has been observed in individuals with psychosomatic complaints, substance abuse, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and also in persons with no recognizable psychiatric disorder. The physiological basis for alexithymia is not known, but some experts have theorized that the disorder may result from a deficit in communication between the right and left hemispheres of the brain. It is believed that emotion originates in the right brain and verbal abilities in the left brain of most right-handed individuals. If the two hemispheres were to communicate poorly, the person might have trouble expressing emotions verbally. Patients who had surgery on the region connecting the hemispheres, the corpus callosum, as a treatment for epilepsy, displayed symptoms similar to alexithymia. This study evaluated interhemispheric transfer (communication) in subjects who had not had surgery on the corpus callosum; 25 male Vietnam veterans with PTSD and 10 male control subjects participated. Interhemispheric transfer deficit was estimated using a tactile test that required one hand to respond when the other hand sensed a stimulus. Poor performance on the tactile test, indicating low interhemispheric communication, was linked to greater severity of alexithymia. Veterans with PTSD, but no alexithymia, scored the same as normal controls on the tactile test. The results suggest that alexithymia, at least in certain forms, may result from deficient communication between the two hemispheres of the brain.

Research, Causes of, Physiological aspects, Post-traumatic stress disorder, Cerebral hemispheres, Alexithymia

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