Investigating the relationship between defense styles and treatment motivation of Turkish males with alcohol use problem

The modern psychoanalytic perspective comprehensively addresses how ego defense styles shape an individual's coping attempts and how such attempts are facilitated or hindered by various factors. In this regard, motivation has been defined as an important characteristic, regarding coping attempts of individuals during treatment for substance use problems. Motivation serves as a driving force for individuals seeking treatment, adapting to treatment, and completing treatment. To find the factors affecting treatment motivation for alcohol use problem, this study investigated the mediator role of self-efficacy and readiness to change between ego defense styles and treatment motivation. The sample of the study consisted of 83 Turkish male participants at age 32-60(M=46.6, SD=6.8) receiving outpatient treatment for alcohol use problem at a treatment center for alcohol addiction. Data were collected by using Demographic Information Form, Defense Style Questionnaire, General Self-Efficacy Scale, Stages of Change Readiness and Treatment Eagerness Scale and Treatment Motivation Questionnaire. Serial Multiple Mediator Analyzes were performed separately for mature, neurotic, and immature defense styles to investigate the mediator role of self-efficacy and readiness to change in the relationship between defense styles and treatment motivation. The serial models simultaneously tested three mediation pathways for each defense style. The coefficient estimates- based on the use of 95% CI as evidence of the mediation of total indirect and indirect effects for self-efficacy, readiness to change and the combination of self-efficacy and readiness to change -were calculated. The results showed that the effects of the paths linking mature and neurotic defense styles to each mediator and treatment motivation were statistically significant (p<0.05), but the serial model for immature defenses was not found statistically significant (p>0.05). The mediator role of self-efficacy and readiness to change was only found on the relationship of mature and neurotic defense styles with treatment motivation. While the total indirect effect of using mature defenses on treatment motivation accounted for in the overall model was 63%, the total indirect effect of using neurotic defenses on treatment motivation in the overall model was 68%. The findings from the study indicated that self-efficacy and readiness for change had partial mediation effects on the relationship between defense styles and treatment motivation. In conclusion, understanding the effects of defense styles used by individuals with alcohol use problems on treatment motivation may contribute to the development of more adaptable, effective, and applicable intervention methods for individuals undergoing treatment for alcohol use problems. However, there is also a need for more comprehensive studies to obtain broader information about other factors affecting treatment motivation, and to develop more effective interventions.