Abstract:
Objective: Both of the defense mechanisms of ego and depression, affects the intensity of the pain in the patient with chronic pain. The present study investigates the mediating role of depression in the relationship between immature ego defenses and perceived pain intensity in patients with chronic pain. Method: Research was conducted on 503 patients with chronic pain who were referred to pain centers in Tehran. Participants were asked to answer Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) for perceived pain intensity, Defense Styles Questionnaire (DSQ-40), and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS). Results: The results indicated that depression plays a mediating role in the relationship between immature ego defenses and perceived pain intensity in patients with chronic pain. Conclusion: the relationship between immature ego defenses and the perceived pain intensity is not a simple linear one, but is mediated by depression. So, depression has an important role in Transforming of defense mechanisms to the pain.
Machine summary:
The present study investigates the mediating role of depression in the relationship between immature ego defense and perceived pain intensity in patients with chronic pain.
On the other hand, research suggests that there is a correlation between chronic pain and depression (Beesdo, Jacobi, Hoyer, Low, Ho¨fler & Wittchen, 2010; Hermesdorf, Berger, Baune, Wellmann, Ruscheweyh & Wersching, 2016; Li, 2015; Thompson, Correll, Gallop, Vancampfort & Stubbs, 2016).
Research suggests that the immature defense style is associated with comorbid depressive symptoms and with poor physical health (Hyphantis, Bai, Siafaka, Georgiadis, Voulgari & et al.
These results are consistent with previous research findings (Mendelson, 1984; Egle, Schwab, Rudolf, Schaefer , B a ssler & Hoffmann, 1987; Blumer, 1987; Ha v ik , 1993; Monsen & Havik, 2001) and can b e e xplained that there is a probability that the ex p erience of pain severity in people with chr o ni c pain be the result of the conversion of certa i n e motions; in other words, they stem from ine f fi c ient immature defense mechanisms (Freud, 2951 ; Engel, 1959).
In other studies, it was sugg e st e d that patients inflicted with pain undergo a greater degree of reversal (Wilson, 1982; Mendelso n , 9841; Tauschke, Merskey & Helmes, 1990), internally directed aggression (Bruehl, Chung, Burns & Biridepalli, 2003; Burns, Bruehl, Quartana, 2006; Quartana, Bounds, Yoon, Goodin & Burns, 2010), somatization and denial (Bjerke & Stiles, 1991; Havik, 1993; Monsen & Havik, 2001).