Subgroup Analysis of Correlations Among Immature and Neurotic Defense Mechanisms and Vicarious Traumatization Scores
| Spearman Coefficient for the Correlation Between TABS and Immature Defense Mechanism Scores | P | Spearman Coefficient for the Correlation Between TABS and Neurotic Defense Mechanism Scores | P | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | ||||
| Male | .50 | < .01 | .20 | .30 |
| Female | .56 | < .01 | .43 | .02 |
| Profession | ||||
| Psychiatrist | .41 | .01 | .09 | .55 |
| Psychologist | .62 | < .01 | .49 | .03 |
| Length of forensic expertise | ||||
| > 10.5 y | .50 | < .01 | .22 | .24 |
| ≤ 10.5 y | .38 | .04 | .34 | .06 |
| Previous Psychotherapy | ||||
| Yes | .44 | < .01 | .27 | .04 |
| No | .90 | .03 | .90 | .03 |
| Psychotherapy expertise | ||||
| Yes | .49 | < .01 | .23 | .18 |
| No | .30 | .17 | .32 | .14 |
| Time between forensic evaluation and study participation | ||||
| > 4.5 months | .36 | .05 | .31 | .09 |
| ≤ 4.5 months | .34 | .07 | .26 | .17 |
n = 56 participants.
Immature and neurotic defense mechanisms were evaluated with the Defensive Style Questionnaire (DSQ); vicarious trauma was evaluated with the Trauma and Attachment Belief Scale (TABS). The strength of correlation is classified as follows: .0–.19 = very weak; .20–39 = weak; .40–.59 = moderate; .60–.79 = strong; .8–1.0 = very strong.