[Narcissism self-expression - the generation me?]

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Psychodynamic Diagnostics

Background:

• Operationalized Psychodynamic Diagnostics (OPD-2, OPD-KJ-2) provides a framework for assessing psychodynamic conflicts.
• Conflict assessment is crucial for understanding adolescent psychological development and challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a self-report questionnaire assessing conflict from the psychodynamic perspective.
• To evaluate the reliability and clinical utility of the newly developed conflict assessment tool.

Main Methods:

• A paper-pencil questionnaire was administered to 501 healthy adolescents (12-17 years), 31 psychosomatic inpatients, and 20 psychiatric inpatients.
• Statistical analyses were performed to examine sex, age, and group differences, and correlations with established clinical instruments (BSI, IPO, IIP).

Main Results:

• Significant sex and age-related differences in narcissistic self-expression were identified.
• Narcissistic self-expression differed significantly across healthy and inpatient groups, indicating its potential clinical relevance.
• Correlations with the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), Inventory of Personality Organization (IPO), and Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP) suggest problematic aspects.

Conclusions:

• The developed questionnaire demonstrates high reliability for assessing adolescent narcissistic self-expression.
• Higher narcissistic self-expression was observed in healthy, male, and older adolescents.
• A significant correlation exists between narcissistic self-expression and psychological symptoms/interpersonal problems, highlighting its clinical significance.