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Depressive Symptoms in Adolescence: On the Significance of Impaired Personality Functioning, Intrapsychic Conflicts, Defense Styles, and Mentalizing Ability According to psychodynamic theories, early relational experiences with primary caregivers shape the development of fundamental psychological capacities. Adverse relational experiences can lead to impaired personality functioning (psychic structure), intrapsychic conflicts, maladaptive defense styles, and limitations in mentalizing abilities, which in turn are associated with an increased risk of depressive symptoms. The aim of this study is to examine the contribution of these psychodynamic constructs to the prediction of depressive symptoms in adolescents and to investigate group differences between youths with and without depressive symptoms. N = 606 adolescents aged 16-21 years (M = 18.49, SD = 1.70; 69.1% female) took part in an online survey. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the PHQ-8, personality functioning with the OPD-KJ2 Structure Questionnaire, conflicts with the OPD-KJ2 Conflict Questionnaire, defense styles with the DSQ-22-A, and mentalizing abilities with the RFQ-6. The multiple regression analysis showed that greater impairment of personality functioning (β = .70) and lower adaptive defense styles (β = -.07) significantly predicted the severity of depressive symptoms (R2 = .55). The MANCOVA revealed significant group differences across all psychodynamic variables: adolescents with depressive symptoms reported greater impairments in all four dimensions of personality functioning and in mentalizing ability, higher conflict levels, as well as lower adaptive and higher maladaptive defense styles compared to the control group. These findings support psychodynamic theories and highlight the relevance of assessing psychodynamic constructs for clinical decision-making and treatment planning.