A special type of defence—screen defence—is to be found in certain patients who have a disturbance of their sense of identity. The concept of screens was originally limited to memory, but Fenichel and others broadened it to include perceptions and effects. Greenson follows this trend by describing what he terms 'screen identifications'. The screen is a means of defence against mental pain and the 'screen character' makes extensive use of this mechanism. The behaviour of such individuals is characterized by an urgency and imperative quality. Clinical details of such patients are described—for example, defects in memory and self-image are frequently encountered. Periods of gratification at oral and phallic levels as well as in adolescence contribute to this particular syndrome. Screenhungry patients must be differentiated from psychoneurotics by the method they employ to deal with the anxiety arising from instinctual demands. The psychoneurotic utilizes phobic mechanisms while the screen character is counter-phobic. By forgoing