[Associations between Personality Structure, Psychodynamic Conflicts and Defense Styles in Adolescents with Mental Health Problems].

OBJECTIVES

An exploration of the interrelationships between central psychodynamic constructs in adolescents with mental health problems was conducted.

METHODS

230 adolescents (Mage=18.0±1.9) were assessed using the Structure and the Conflict Questionnaire of the Operationalized Psychodynamic Diagnosis System in Childhood and Adolescence and the Defense Style Questionnaire for Adolescents.

RESULTS

Controlling for the influence of gender, age, and socioeconomic status, low to moderate associations were revealed between increased psychodynamic conflict levels and immature defense styles (r=0.20 to 0.39, p<0.05 to 0.001) as wells as deficits in the personality structure and increased psychodynamic conflict levels (r=0.15 to 0.55, p<0.05 to p<0.001) or immature defense styles (r=0.30 to 0.69, p<0.001). Psychodynamic conflicts as well as defense styles could be predicted by the structural dimensions as well as age and sex (R2=0 .04 to 0.49, p<0.05 to 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Theory-compliant correlations were demonstrated. The findings are particularly relevant against the background of the revision of the classification of personality functioning (ICD-11) in childhood and adolescence.