Depression and Defensiveness in Self-Descriptive Moods of Alcoholics

Abstract

MMPI Depression scales ( D and D30), Social Desirability scales from Edwards (SD) and from Marlowe-Crowne (MC-SD) were administered to 61 alcoholic patients together with a set of mood scales. An elevation for D and MC-SD was found. Somatic depression ( D) did not correlate significantly with depression of the phenomenological transparent mood scales, but with mood scales indicating inertia. SD correlates considerably with all mood factors, but MC-SD only with some of them. Alcoholics were characterized as being depressive and defensive in terms of giving a high approval-seeking self-image but not deviant by following socially desirable self-descriptions.