Objective: To find out the prevalence of different defence mechanism and coping strategies in the patients with PD.To find out the relationship between using of defence mechanism and coping strategies with cognitive impairment, disease severity and neuropsychiatric symptoms.

Background: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterised by bradykinesia, rest tremor, rigidity, & postural instability. Cognitive & psychiatric disorders are often co morbid with PD. These disorders may arise as a consequence of the disabilities, or arising as a result of the disease. Defense mechanism is a psychological strategy used unconsciously by people to cope with harmful or stressful situations. We use defence mechanisms to protect ourselves from feelings of anxiety or guilt, which arise because we feel threatened. Coping means to invest conscious effort to solve personal and interpersonal problems.

Method: We recruit 32 patients of PD according to the UK PD Brain Bank Criteria from department neurology of Sri Aurobindo Seva Kendra Hospital. UPDRS was used to assess the disease severity, cognitive impairment was assessed by ACE III, and NPI was utilized to estimate the prevalence of neuropsychiatric symptoms. Defence Style Questionnaire 40 and Coping Strategy Inventory were utilized to estimate the ego defence mechanism and Coping style respectively.

Results: Mean age is found to be 63.69 (±5.28), 71.9% patients have cognitive impairment, mean mature, neurotic and immature defence were found to be 43.40 (±9.65), 49.21 (±7.61) and 178.53 (±19.43) respectively. Mean engagement and disengagement score was found to be 51.06 (±3.82) and 56.21(±8.27) respectively. We found that those patients who have cognitive impairment and H&Y staging 2.5-4 using more immature defence mechanism and also using wishful thinking and problem avoidance coping strategies significantly more.

Conclusion: Significant number of PD patients demonstrated on conscious and unconscious coping mechanisms, they often adopt immature defence, wishful thinking more, and also avoid anxiety provoking situations. Further multicentre with higher number of sample size needed to confirm our findings.

References: 1. Clifton C. Addison, H. (2019). Psychometric Evaluation of a Coping Strategies Inventory Short-Form (CSI-SF) in the Jackson Heart Study Cohort.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/defence-mechanism-of-ego-and-coping-strategy-style-of-the-patient-with-parkinsons-disease/