Resumen de The portuguese version of the adolescents’ form of the defense mechanisms inventory

João Manuel Rosado de Miranda Justo, Ana Lúcia da Conceição Arromba da Silva, Ana Luísa Quintela Neves, Carla Luísa de Deus Brás Frade

• Defence mechanisms constitute an important concept at the domains of psychoanalysis and personality psychology with important consequences spreading at the fields of psychotherapy, psychopathology and psychological development. A short résumé is presented about the psychoanalytical theory of defence mechanisms, empirical research with defence mechanisms as also about the use of defence mechanisms in psychological investigation about adolescence; also some examples of research in adolescence psychology using the Defense Mechanisms Inventory (DMI) are presented.

  In order to present this instrument, we start by the description of its characteristics. Finally, we present data of the Portuguese version of the DMI adolescents’ form, resulting from application at schools of Lisbon area in a sample of adolescents of both sexes with ages ranging between 13 and 19 years. Results from principal components analysis, internal consistency and descriptive statistics are displayed.