A comparative study of defensive mechanisms and styles of persons suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorders and non-clinical samples

The goal of this study is to examine and compare defensive mechanisms and styles of persons suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). A sample of 30 ordered persons and 30 disordered persons was selected by an available sampling method. Data was gathered by DSQ-40 questionnaire. The findings showed that ordered persons significantly useduncompleted defensive styles more than disordered ones. Also, there is a significant difference for defensive mechanisms between them. Additionally, it was found that the defensive mechanism of disordered persons are excess usage of transition-to-action, reactive formation, and cancelation defensive mechanisms, and less usage of sublimation and humor mechanisms. These results show the importance of study of defensive mechanisms to diagnose and treat OCD and are comparable with other studies.