Inter-Rater Reliability and Validity of the OPD-CA Axes Structure and Conflict

The manual of the Operationalized Psychodynamic Diagnostics in childhood and adolescence (OPD-CA) is an instrument meanwhile widespread in the clinical practice to assess psychodynamic dimensions. Publications of inter-rater agreement and validity are still outstanding. This study assessed the interrater-reliability and validity for the axis structure and the axis conflict. 60 adolescents between 14 and 17 years, with and without psychic disorders, were diagnosed with the Operationalized Psychodynamic Diagnostics in childhood and adolescence (Arbeitskreis OPD-KJ, 2007) and SCID-II-interviews and questionnaires. A partial sample of 36 OPD-CA-interviews was the data basis for the assessment of inter-rater agreement. Calculations of validity for axis structure and axis conflict were made with the whole sample. Inter-rater agreement for the axis structure and the axis conflict showed good to very good weighted Kappa coefficients among the trained raters. Validity of the axis structure showed good results. The Operationalized Psychodynamic Diagnostics in childhood and adolescence (OPD-CA) allows a reliable diagnostic of axis structure and axis conflict, if the ratings are done on the basis of semi-structured videotaped interviews by trained raters. The axis structure shows validity, while the results concerning the validity of the axis conflict remain unclear.