MMPI And Defense Mechanis In Patients With Body-Dysmorphic Disorder

【Objective】To study the similarities and differences of personality and defensemechanism in patients with body-dysmorphic disorder (BDD). In addition, the articlediscusses the relation among personality feature, defense style and symptom of BDD. Theaim of the research is to provide information for clinical therapy.【Methods】All BDD patients(n=29), OCD controls(n=30) and normal controls(n=30)completed Self Rating Scale of Body Image (SRSBI), Defense Style Questionnaire (DSQ)and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI).【Results】Ten clinical scales score of MMPI in BDD were found significant higher thannormal controls which including hypochondriasis, depression, hysteria, psychopathicdeviate, masculinity-femininity, paranoia, psychasthenia, schiaophrenia, and socialintroversion. Four clinical scales were significant higher than OCD controls whichincluding psychopathic deviate, psychasthenia, schiaophrenia and social introversion. But "hysteria" scale was significant lower. Comparing with normal controls, BDD patientstend to use immature mechanism, but less use mature mechanism, and use more immaturemechanism than OCD controls. Immature mechanism were significant positive correlatewith Hs, depression, psychasthenia in BDD patients. Mature mechanism were significantnegative correlate with social introversion, but were significant positive correlate withhysteria. Neurotic mechanism were significant positive correlate with hypochondriasis andhysteria. The total score and factorial score of SRSBI in BDD patients were significantcorrelate with some mature mechanism and immature mechanism.【Conclusions】BDD patients have abnormal personality which is more significant thanOCD patients. BDD patients are more likely than the normal controls and OCD controls toendorse the immature mechanism, which were significant correlate with abnormalpersonality. The mechanism, personality of BDD patients are closely relative with theirsymptomatic behavior. Immature mechanism and significant abnormal personality arelikely the psychopathology of BDD from which the clinic symptom produced.