Benlik Farklılıkları ve Psikolojik Sıkıntılar Arasındaki İlişkide Savunma Biçimlerinin Rolü

Öz

Benlik farklılıkları teorisine göre, gerçek, ideal ve zaruri benlikleri arasındaki tutarsızlıklar, insanları psikolojik sıkıntılar yaşamaya karşı savunmasız hale getirmektedir. Psikanalitik bakış açısına göre ise, arzu edilen benlik durumundan uzak olmak, ego bütünlüğünün korunmasına yönelik bir tehdit oluşturması nedeniyle depresif semptomlar ve kaygı dahil olmak üzere çeşitli psikolojik sıkıntının deneyimlenmesiyle ilişkilendirilmektedir. Ego bütünlüğünü korumak ve bu rahatsız edici psikolojik durumlarla başa çıkabilmek için farklı savunma tarzlarına başvurulmaktadır. Bu noktada, savunma biçimlerinin ( nevrotik ve immatür), benlik farklılıkları ( zaruri ve istenmeyen benlik farklılıkları) ve yaşanan psikolojik sıkıntılar (depresyon ve kaygı) arasındaki ilişkiyi açıklayan önemli aracı faktörler olabileceği düşünülmektedir. Bu nedenle, çalışmanın amacı, benlik farklılıkları ile psikolojik sıkıntı arasındaki ilişkide savunma biçimlerinin aracılık etkisini incelemektir. Veriler, yaşları 18 ile 64 arasında değişen, 361’i kadın olmak üzere 565 katılımcıdan toplanmıştır. Katılımcılar Bütünleşik Benlik Farklılıkları Endeksi, Savunma Biçimleri Testi, Beck Depresyon Envanteri ve Durumluk ve Sürekli Kaygı Envanteri Süreklilik formunu doldurmuşlardır. Sonuçları analiz etmek için Hayes Process Macro yöntemi kullanılarak altı ayrı aracılık analizi yapılmıştır. Sonuçlar, tüm benlik farklılıkları ile psikolojik sıkıntı arasındaki ilişkiye hem olgun hem de immatür savunmaların aracılık ettiğini göstermiştir. Öte yandan, nevrotik savunmaların bu ilişkilerde aracı bir rol oynamadığı bulunmuştur.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• benlik farklılıkları
• savunma biçimleri
• depresyon
• kaygı

The Role of Defense Styles in the Relationship Between Self-Discrepancies and Psychological Distresses

Öz

According to self-discrepancy theory, differences between people's actual, ideal, and ought selves make them vulnerable to psychological distress. From a psychoanalytic perspective, being away from the desired state of self poses a threat to the maintenance of ego integrity, and thus has been associated with the experience of a variety of psychological problems including depressive symptoms and anxiety. To maintain ego integrity and cope with these uncomfortable psychological states, people resort to different defense styles. At this point, defense styles i.e., mature, neurotic, and immature) are thought to be important mediators in explaining the relationship between self discrepancies i.e., ideal, ought, and undesirable) and psychological distress i.e., depression and anxiety). Therefore, this study aims to examine the mediating effect of defense styles on the relationship between self-discrepancies and psychological distress. Data were collected from 565 participants, 361 of whom were women, aged between 18 and 64 years. The participants completed the Integrated Self discrepancy Index, Defense Style Questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory, and Trait form of Trait State Anxiety Inventory. To test the proposed hypothesis, six separate mediation analyses were conducted using the Hayes Process Macro method. The results revealed that both mature and immature defenses mediated the association between all self-discrepancies and psychological distress. On the other hand, neurotic defenses did not have any mediation role between self discrepancies and psychological distress relationships.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• self-discrepancy
• defense styles
• depression
• anxiety

Kaynakça

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