Eight Years of Follow-Up Study with Regard to Defense Mechanisms in Medical Students

Shin, Eun Young; Jung, Han Yong; Lee, Soyoung Irene; Kim, Shin Gyeom; Park, Joon Ho

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the changes in defense mechanisms in medical students as they progress towards becoming a doctor.
METHODS
Ninety premedical students were enrolled from Soonchunhyang University. All subjects were evaluated at baseline, during their 6th year of medical school, during their 4th year as a practicing doctor by the Ewha defense Mechanisms Test which contained 20 defense mechanisms and 4 factors (unstable, narcissistic, self-negative, and avoidant). In the end, 60 subjects were included in the analysis.
RESULTS
During the period from premedical student to medical doctor, the use of passive-aggressive, acting-out, displacement, somatization, dissociation, projection, denial, regression, and distortion decreased significantly. Also, there was a significant difference in the use of defense mechanisms from the time as a premedical student to a medical student. However, there was no significant difference in the period from medical student to medical doctor.
CONCLUSION
We concluded that the use of unstable and avoidant defense scales decreased in the course of becoming a doctor from a premedical student, compared to mature or stable defense scales.