Ego function assessment in major depressive patients: an Egyptian sample

ABSTRACT

Fourteen ego functions were rated in 35 Egyptian major depressive patients using a semi-structured interview. The mean total ego functions was found to be greater than that of schizophrenics and lower than that of neurotics and normal controls in previous studies. The highest score was for sense of reality and the lowest for ARISE. Inter-rater reliability was significantly high. Interrelationships between ego function and correlations with Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression are presented. Ego function assessment may be a valuable tool in planning and assessing therapy for the individual patient as well as in differentiating between different patient populations