The mechanisms of repression and isolation in multiple sclerosis as regulators of personality system: a clinical study

One of the fundamental dynamics of psychic adaptation to both intra-psychic and relational stimuli is the defense mechanism of repression in correlation with that of isolation. Our work is concerned with testing whether the use of these mechanisms can constitute, in the case of MS patients, one of the factors which would explain various psychological reactions which are inadequate or pathological. It is to be expected that the trend of these defense mechanisms will be significantly altered in the case of MS patients. In our research we evaluated the Rorschach's Index of Repressive Style (Levine and Spivack, 1964) and the Index of Isolation (Crisi and Caviglia, 1987). The experimental group consisted of 40 MS subjects (20 males and 20 females, age range 20-47) not exceeding level 5 on Kurtzke's Disability Scale. 40 healthy subjects (20 males and 20 females, age range 22-50) were used as a control group. The MS group showed more severe signs of repression than the control group; the MS group showed also more severe signs of activation of the defense mechanism of isolation.