Level of personality functioning (OPD-2) and the symptom severity of posttraumatic stress disorder – A cohort study

Abstract

Objectives: To investigate the affirmed correlation between the level of personality functioning (OPD-2, Axis IV “Structure”) and the symptom severity of posttraumatic stress disorder based on clinical routine data was the main goal of this study. Method: Cross-sectional data was acquired between 2013 and 2016 using random samples of standardized questionnaires in the trauma outpatient clinic of the Department of Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital in Münster, Germany. The German version of the PDS (Ehlers et al. 1996) measured the symptoms and the severity of PTSD, level of personality functioning was assessed by the OPD-SFK (Ehrenthal et al. 2015) Results: Level of personality functioning in OPD-SFK and the severity of posttraumatic symptoms are significantly correlated to each other. The less the functioning of the psychic structure the more the symptom severity shows up. The results were confirmed with different sets of predictors in our statistical models. Conclusions: The level of the personality functioning (OPD-2) is related to the severity of posttraumatic symptoms. Whether a low-level personality functioning is a disposal for PTSD or more likely a result of a traumatic life event, should be discussed.