Freud’s Defenses at Play: Examining Mature Defense Mechanisms in the Perfectionism – Suicidality Relationship

Background Suicide is a leading cause of death worldwide. The numbers in The Netherlands confirm this trend, where suicide is the leading cause of death in people aged 10-29. A significant predictor of suicide is perfectionism: high levels of perfectionism can increase the risk of suicidal ideation. Suicide can be seen as an attack against the self that goes against our innate drive for self-preservation that our ego is involved in. The ego is a component of the self, according to Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory. It mediates between the super-ego and the id and uses ego functions to do so. Defense mechanisms are examples of these ego functions. They protect the self against internal stress or anxiety. Objective In the last 50 years, our predictive or preventive capabilities regarding SI have not been improved. By adding Psychoanalytic Theory to current theories, we aim to improve their predictive abilities. The question that is central in this project is: “Do mature defense mechanisms...Show moreBackground Suicide is a leading cause of death worldwide. The numbers in The Netherlands confirm this trend, where suicide is the leading cause of death in people aged 10-29. A significant predictor of suicide is perfectionism: high levels of perfectionism can increase the risk of suicidal ideation. Suicide can be seen as an attack against the self that goes against our innate drive for self-preservation that our ego is involved in. The ego is a component of the self, according to Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory. It mediates between the super-ego and the id and uses ego functions to do so. Defense mechanisms are examples of these ego functions. They protect the self against internal stress or anxiety. Objective In the last 50 years, our predictive or preventive capabilities regarding SI have not been improved. By adding Psychoanalytic Theory to current theories, we aim to improve their predictive abilities. The question that is central in this project is: “Do mature defense mechanisms moderate the relation between perfectionism and suicidal ideation in university students aged 17-26?” Methods The study followed a cross-sectional design and data was collected through self-report questionnaires. The instruments used were the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, the Suicidal Ideation Attributes Scale and the 30-item Defense Mechanism Rating Scale. The sample size was N = 98 and data was analyzed with hierarchical regression. Results The analysis showed that perfectionism can increase the risk of SI (F = 8.20, p = .005) and that mature defense mechanisms can decrease the risk of SI (F = 7.23, p = .017). However, the analysis reported non-significant results for the moderation of mature defense mechanisms in the relation between perfectionism and SI (F = 4.85, p = .673). Conclusion While the RQ cannot be confirmed with this analysis, the study does show positive relations between perfectionism and SI and negative relations between SI and mature defenses. These findings can contribute to the current literature and highlight the importance for further research. This research should be conducted with a bigger and diversified sample.Show less

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Freud’s Defenses at Play: Examining Mature Defense Mechanisms in the Perfectionism – Suicidality Relationship