Personality and defense mechanisms in late adulthood.

OBJECTIVE

Current understanding of the use of psychological defense mechanisms (DMs) in older adults is limited. This study set out to examine individual differences in DMs and Cloninger's biosocial model of personality in two age groups (50-64, 65-93), as well as their influence on health.

METHODS

A Japanese community sample (N = 330) completed the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI-125), the Defense Style Questionnaire (DSQ-40), and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28).

RESULTS

Across age groups, psychological well-being was related to lower levels of harm avoidance and higher levels of self-directedness. In addition, older age was related to decreases in reward dependence, cooperativeness, and increases in self-transcendence, DMs of isolation, denial, and splitting.

DISCUSSION

An Age X Gender interaction revealed that men and women varied in their pattern of age differences for some specific DMs. Results further suggest that image-distortion defense may function to compensate resource loss.