Psychological Defenses in the Process of Grieving: A Comparison of Individuals with Different Levels of Personality Organization

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of the features of the use of psychological defense mechanisms in the process of grieving in individuals with different levels of personality organization. The aim of the work is to compare the specifics of the manifestation of defenses in people with neurotic, borderline and psychotic levels of structural integration, as well as to determine their impact on the nature of adaptation to loss course. The empirical study was conducted using the STIPO-R (Structured Interview of Personality Organization – Revised) method, which allows for a comprehensive assessment of the level of personal organization according to such parameters as identity, object relations, impulse control, defense mechanisms and integration of moral norms. The results of the study showed that individuals with a neurotic level of organization more often use adaptive defenses (intellectualization, rationalization and control), which contributes to a more controlled and constructive experience of grief. In the group with a borderline level, the prevalence of partially adaptive mechanisms (passive aggression, devaluation, dissociation) was noted, which causes fluctuations between avoidance and experiencing loss. In contrast, in respondents with a psychotic level of organization, primitive and maladaptive defenses (denial, projection, splitting) dominate, which is associated with the chaotic nature of emotions, anxiety, and difficulties in integrating the experience of loss. The obtained data indicate the significance of the structural level of the personality in the formation of reactions to loss and confirm the importance of individualized psychological support strategies. The STIPO-R method turned out to be an effective tool for differentiating types of defenses and predicting the characteristics of the grief experience, which makes it valuable for further clinical and practical research.