A Primer on Defense Mechanisms for Psychiatry Postgraduate Residents: A Psychodynamic Overview

Defense mechanisms, one of the core constructs of psychodynamically oriented psychotherapy and a concept with broader relevance across psychiatric practice, remain difficult to grasp for many trainees. Given their clinical utility, this article aims to provide postgraduate psychiatry residents with an overview and foundational understanding of the concept, including its historical origins, established classifications, relationship to personality organization and psychopathology, and emerging neurobiological perspectives. A detailed discussion of individual defense and their technical use in psychotherapy is beyond the scope of this manuscript. A suggested reading list is provided for further understanding. Rather than serving as a treatment guide or manual, this article is intended as a sensitizer — an orientation toward understanding how the mind protects itself against conflicts, and why that understanding matters clinically.