Objective: This paper presents the advantages of making comprehensive diagnoses with OPD-KJ in a child and adolescent psychiatric sample.
Method: In addition to the MAS and the ICD-10 diagnoses, three axes of the OPD-KJ, the conflict and structural axis as well the axis of treatment conditions, were assessed, in 61 inpatient child and adolescent psychiatric patients in Austria.
Results: There are significant gender differences in the importance of internalized, developmentally inhibitive conflicts. However, the structural level was low to moderate in all patients. Structural capacities such as dealing with negative emotions, self and object differentiation, and contact could be maintained only with substantial help from outside. Older patients were more motivated to obtain treatment and show more insight. Of importance were also links between the conflict axis and the treatment conditions. Patients who have been classified as control vs. submissive showed less treatment motivation, reduced motivation to change, and more gains than did patients with other conflicts.
Conclusion: The study shows that, beyond the axis of treatment conditions, a comprehensive OPD-KJ diagnosis that gathered information from the assessment of the conflict and structural axis as well can provide useful information for treatment planning.