Defense mechanisms in the obstruction of the mentalization process among victims of humanitarian crisis in the Far North of Cameroon

Abstract

This article falls within the scope of clinical psychology. It explores the impact of defense mechanisms on the mentalization process in victims of armed violence in the Far North of Cameroon, a region affected by attacks from the Boko Haram group for more than a decade. It also offers a theoretical-clinical reflection on psychic reconstruction in a humanitarian crisis context. Based on an in-depth clinical case study of an internally displaced person, the study highlights the complexity of the psychic response to psychic intrusions. The qualitative analysis, based on a semi-structured clinical interview and the DSQ-40 psychometric tool, reveals a prevalence of immature and neurotic defenses (splitting, repression, acting out, devaluation, isolation) indicating a disorganization of the 'Ego' associated with a collapse of the mentalization process in response to psychic intrusion. Indeed, these mechanisms, although adaptive, hinder symbolization and promote the somatic expression of trauma (evidence of the failure of the mentalization process). These findings emphasize the need for an integrative therapeutic approach aimed at exploring and modulating defense mechanisms to restore the work of thought and the psychic meaning of trauma.