On the theory and practice of the Staabs' test. An overall view for diagnostic-therapeutic use

From a systemic point of view, Staabs' test findings are always a diagnostic construction. Criteria for their utility in a certain context is whether in addition to other information sources, it can give meaningful indications for the diagnosis and treatment (comp. for instance, also Priebe's 1989 thoughts on psychiatric diagnosis). Nevertheless or just for that reason is the consideration of relatively constant characteristics of a material, the test person as well as relative observation and description dimensions indispensable in order to prevent the danger of options and "overinterpretation". In this paper, an attempt was made at combining the characteristics that have been crystallized as relevant in the work with Staabs' test over the decades up till now and to put them into a theoretic (systemic) diagnostic context. Under these presuppositions, the Staabs' test presents a particularly suitable procedure for making contact with as well as for the diagnosis and treatment, above all, of children and adolescents. Also the use of relationship and family diagnostics and treatment is possible. At the same time Staabs' test has the inestimable advantage in that the test person's cooperation is only very rarely unattainable; in other procedures this is more often the case.