IMPACTO DO ESTILO DEFENSIVO NAPSICOTERAPIA BREVE DA DEPRESSÃO PÓS-PARTO

by DA SILVA, PEDRO VIEIRA

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we evaluated the impact of defense style on outcome and its relationto the therapeutic alliance. METHOD: Women with postpartum depression were allocated to abrief psychotherapeutic intervention. To evaluate defense style and the alliance, the DefenseStyle Questionnaire and the Working Alliance Inventory were employed. The main outcome wasthe final score on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS); anxiety and retention intreatment were also evaluated RESULTS: 59 patients were included; forty-six completed thetherapy and 65.4% responded (EPDS<10). Intense use of immature defenses was related to themaintenance of depression and anxiety at endpoint, even when controlled for parity and socialclass. Results tended to confirm a hierarchy of defense styles. There were no significantcorrelations with the alliance measures at any sessions. CONCLUSIONS: Intense use ofimmature defenses was a factor of poor prognosis in psychotherapy, independently of thealliance, which strengthens their status as important variables for treatment selection