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

Abstract

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.