[The OPD conflict questionnaire].

Unlabelled: The OPD conflict questionnaire Background: To date, no self-report measure is available to assess modes of coping with unconscious conflicts according to Operationalized Psychodynamic Diagnosis (OPD). The OPD conflict questionnaire (OPD-CQ) developed here thus intends to close this gap.

Methods: To select the items for the OPD-CQ, expert ratings and psychometric criteria based on a sample of 534 persons were combined.

Tracking functional brain changes in patients with depression under psychodynamic psychotherapy using individualized stimuli.

Objective: Neurobiological models of depression posit limbic hyperactivity that should normalize after successful treatment. For psychotherapy, though, brain changes in patients with depression show substantial variability. Two critical issues in relevant studies concern the use of unspecific stimulation experiments and relatively short treatment protocols.

Operationalized psychodynamic diagnosis as an instrument to transfer psychodynamic constructs into neuroscience.

This theoretical article makes a contribution to the field of "psychoanalytically informed neuroscience". First, central characteristics of psychoanalysis and neuroscience are briefly described leading into three epistemic dichotomies. Neuroscience versus psychoanalysis display almost opposing methodological approaches (reduction vs.

[Assessing risk exposure in families within the scope of early intervention: the Heidelberg Stress scale (HBS) and its quality criteria].

The aim of the study presented is to introduce the newly developed instrument to assess stress, the Heidelberg Stress Scale (Heidelberger Belastungsskala--HBS), and to examine its psychometric characteristics. The HBS was developed for a low-threshold and multi-professional assessment of a family's stresses and resources after the birth of a child. The HBS can be used in the outreach work of family midwives, for instance, as well as in research.

Individualized and clinically derived stimuli activate limbic structures in depression: an fMRI study.

Objectives: In the search for neurobiological correlates of depression, a major finding is hyperactivity in limbic-paralimbic regions. However, results so far have been inconsistent, and the stimuli used are often unspecific to depression. This study explored hemodynamic responses of the brain in patients with depression while processing individualized and clinically derived stimuli.

[About the state of counselling and therapy of parents with their infants in Germany--results of an expertise].

Topic of this study is the acquisition and documentation of all German services of early psychosocial interventions as well as the description of attributes of these care providers. On the basis of this attributes the quality of the offers is evaluated. The services provide counseling and therapy for parents with babies and toddlers.

[The use of OPD-based focused interventions in inpatient psychotherapy: effects on outcome and course of treatment].

Objectives: The study explores the course and outcome of inpatient psychodynamic psychotherapy (N=200) with particular regard to interpersonal experiences and behaviour. Based on the implementation of a focus conference, the multi-professional team members formulated an interpersonal treatment focus and individualised helpful interpersonal attitude towards the patient (so-called therapeutic tuning). This focus formulation follows the systematic procedure provided by the Operationalised Psychodynamic Diagnostics System (OPD-2).

[New diagnostic alternatives for dysfunctional relationships: the relationship axis of the OPD-2].

As a part of the new version of Operationalized Psychodynamic Diagnosis (OPD-2), the relationship axis is introduced which was developed on the basis of research and clinical work with the OPD-1. It provides a procedure indicating dysfunctional relationship patterns. The new version is characterized by the following qualities: The relationship axis is based more consequently on the circumplex model of interpersonal behaviour.