[Operationalized psychodynamic diagnostics (OPD) in patients with central serous chorioretinopathy]

Central Serous Chorioretinopathy (CSC) is a degenerative retinal disease still considered within ophthalmology as being of psychosomatic origin. Psychotherapeutic treatment of CSC patients has been demanded by several authors who, however, have failed to investigate the relevant preconditions. The present study examined subjective illness experience, treatment preconditions, and psychodynamic conflicts in 31 patients with CSC by means of axes I and III of the Operationalized Psychodynamic Diagnostics (OPD). Illness experience, psychological symptoms, capacity for insight into psychodynamic contexts and motivation towards psychotherapy were but slight. The conflicts of one half of the patients was evaluated as important. Predominant conflicts were dependency vs. autonomy, submission vs. control, providing vs. autarchy and self-esteem conflicts. All in all, the patients examined were more or less clinically inconspicuous, giving rather few reasons for psychotherapy. In order to control the results, further studies with higher case numbers are required.