research on addiction

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the defensive mechanisms and styles in substance users and abusers’ families. Method: A descriptive research design was used for the purpose of the study. The sample consisted of 280 participants (70 persons in each group) from substance abusers’ families, alcohol users’ families, sedative users’ families, and cigarette smokers’ families who were selected by convenience sampling. For this purpose, Andrews' Defense Style Questionnaire (DSQ) was used to measure defensive mechanisms. Results: The highest average and percentage of immature mechanisms was found in drug users and alcohol users’ families while the lowest percentage was found in sedative users’ families. From among the immature mechanisms, denial was most frequently used by alcohol users’ families while transition was least frequently used by substance abusers’ families. Conclusion: Defense mechanisms change one’s understanding of self; therefore, immature defense mechanisms deter understanding reality, deprive one of the possibility of rational and effective defense, and reduce one’s insight capacity and self-discovery.