Objectives: In 2006, the manual of the Operationalized Psychodynamic Diagnostics (OPD) was revised and published in its second edition (OPD-2; Arbeitskreis OPD2006). In particular the axis structure was markedly changed. This study assessed the interrater reliability and validity.
Methods: Two independent raters judged 139 persons with OPD-2 on the axis structure (a third rater judged a partial sample of 20 persons). In addition, patients were investigated with SCID-Interviews for DSM-IV diagnosis and with the following questionnaires: Brief-Symptom-Checklist (BSI), Inventory of Personality Organisation (IPO), and Borderline Personality Inventory (BPI).
Results: Interrater agreement for the axis structure showed sufficient to good results for weighted kappas. The axis structure showed high correlations with the number of DSM-IV diagnoses and the main scales of the BSI, IPO, and BPI.
Conclusion: The OPD-2 axis structure is a reliable and valid instrument for the assessment of the crucial clinical dimension of "psychic structure".