An external validity study of the MMPI Personality Disorder Scales

This study examined the external validity of the MMPI Personality Disorder (PD) scales. Patients diagnosed with personality disorders (n = 23), according to a structured interview, were contrasted with medical control subjects and psychiatric patients with no personality disorder (n = 33). The MMPI PD scales could discriminate patients with any personality disorder and patients with specific clusters of personality disorders. Convergent validity was demonstrated by high correlations between the MMPI PD scales and the comparable Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory scales, as well as the number of DSM-III personality disorder symptoms. This study represents a preliminary step in the external validation of the MMPI PD scales.     

Plasma HVA levels in depressed patients and controls

Plasma levels of the dopamine metabolite homovanillic acid (HVA) were examined in depressed patients and controls. There were no significant differences between the groups. In particular, there were no significant differences for plasma HVA levels between depressed patients with and without melancholia or between depressed patients who were cortisol nonsuppressors or suppressors.     

The relationship between the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory and the MMPI in a private outpatient mental health clinic population

The concurrent validity of the MCMI as compared to the MMPI was assessed by administering both tests to 106 newly admitted outpatients and calculating the intercorrelations between these two tests. Of the 20 MCMI scales, 12 were found to correlate with the MMPI in a manner that suggested that they do measure some degree of personality dysfunction, emotional disturbance, or specific psychological symptomatology. Eight of the MCMI scales failed to show correlations that would indicate that they effectively measure any of the pathological personality characteristics or clinically significant symptom patterns known to be measured by the MMPI.     

Cortisol nonsuppression in depression: relationship to clinical variables

The dexamethasone suppression test was performed in 63 depressed patients and 43 normal controls. Cortisol nonsuppression was found in 47.6% of the depressed patients and 4.6% of the controls. Among depressed patients both age and reported weight loss, but not severity of depression, were significantly related to postdexamethasone plasma cortisol levels. Patients who were cortisol suppressors had experienced significantly more life events before the onset of depression and had significantly higher hostility scores on a personality questionnaire than cortisol nonsuppressors.     

MMPI personality disorder scales and the MCMI: concurrent validity

A set of DSM-III personality disorder scales recently were developed for the MMPI. The purpose of the present investigation was to provide data on the concurrent validity of these scales. Scores from both the overlapping and nonoverlapping MMPI personality disorder scales were compared against the criterion of the personality disorder scales of the MCMI in 47 psychiatric patients. In general, the MMPI personality scales correlated significantly with the corresponding MCMI scales. However, the antisocial (ANT), compulsive (CPS), and paranoid (PAR) scales of the MMPI failed to achieve adequate concurrent validity. For the ANT scale, this probably reflects conceptual differences between the Millon (1981) typology that underlies the MCMI and the DSM-III. The PAR scale appears to show some bias toward the assessment of paranoid and suspicious ideation, rather than paranoid personality characteristics.     

MMPI personality differences in various populations of the unwed mother

This study was designed specifically to assess the personality differences between pregnant unwed young women who had a varying number of pregnancies and sexually active, but nonpregnant females. The MMPI was administered to 42 volunteer unmarried women assigned to one of the three following groups: Primigravida (pregnant for the first time), multigravida (pregnant for at least the second time), or to a “control” group (sexually active with no pregnancies). A discriminate function analysis was employed to predict group membership on the basis of the MMPI scales, which were used as predictor variables. The first function consisted of the Hs, Pt, and Sc scales, which accounted for 64.33% of the total variance. A second function consisted of K, Hs, Hy, Mf, Pa, Pt, Sc, and MA scales, which accounted for 35.67% of the total variance. The clinical implications of the first function (used primarily because it produced a higher degree of predictability with fewer scales) were discussed in terms of its ability to distinguish personality characteristics among the three groups of young women.     

The MMPI/MMPI-2 personality disorder scales: Contemporary norms for adults and adolescents

Eleven personality disorder scales for the MMPI, as described in DSM-III, were derived by Morey and his colleagues from the original MMPI item pool through a combination of rational and empirical strategies. These new scales have enjoyed popularity among clinicians. Normative tables for each of these scales, with and without overlapping items, were constructed from MMPI responses from a large contemporary normal reference sample of adults and adolescents without any physical or mental handicaps who were selected randomly from a three-state area in the Midwest. Some items from the Morey Personality Disorder scales were deleted during development of the MMPI-2; separate normative tables have been prepared for the scales so affected, which allows clinicians who are using the MMPI-2 to continue to use these slightly modified scales.     

Personality disorder correspondence among the MMPI,MBHI, and MCMI

MMPI, MBHI, and MCMI personality disorder scales were analyzed for convergent and discriminant validity. Friedman's ANOVA indicated that there were no significant differences among the sample's averaged scale scores. Further analyses of these data, however, demonstrated that the Millon instruments classified significantly more of the sample as personality disordered when compared to Morey's MMPI personality disorder scales. In addition, codetype correspondence among the three instruments was only 4 to 6%. When the instruments were analyzed in a pair-wise fashion, codetype correspondence increased to approximately 10 to 20%. These data indicate that these personality disorder scales do not demonstrate construct equivalence, particularly at the level of the individual profile.     

The relationship of aerobic physical fitness to selected personality traits.

The relationships between aerobic physical fitness and selected personality traits measured by the MMPI were investigated for college males engaged in an aerobic conditioning class. Results indicated that physical fitness scores and selected scales on the MMPI are related in college males and that changes in aerobic physical fitness are related to score changes on selected scales of the MMPI for college males who participated in an aerobic exercise program.     

Borderline personality disorder: replication of MMPI profiles

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a particular MMPI profile is associated with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Forty-seven symptomatic volunteers who satisfied DSM-III criteria for borderline and/or schizotypal personality disorder were given the full MMPI. Concordance of MMPI profile for BDP confirmed the findings of four previous studies. Elevations were noted on F, D, PD, PA, PT, and SC. A subject's profile with this pattern is interpreted from item content as generally neurotic, dysthymic, socially withdrawn, suspicious, apathetic toward the future, affectively erratic, unable to anticipate the consequences of his or her own behavior, and unable to judge the social desirability of his or her own behavior. Correlations of the foregoing scales with a total BPD score ranged from .44 to .77, with a multiple R of .80 and a cross validity of .77. The accuracy of predicting actual BPD and non-BPD cases was 89%. Accordingly, the MMPI could be used as a coarse screen for BPD casefinding in that patients with the MMPI profiles above should be selected for more thorough diagnostic workup. In the future, the MMPI might be linked to other variables, such as drug response, to understand further the pathophysiology of BPD.     

Dexamethasone suppression test using saliva cortisol measurement in bulimia nervosa

The assessment of cortisol in saliva has been proven a valid and reliable reflection of the respective unbound hormone in blood. In the present study, a standard dexamethasone suppression test (DST) with measures of salivary cortisol levels was performed in bulimic women without depression (DSM-IV; N=48) and healthy controls (N=24) matched for age. Feedback sensitivity was assessed using the standard DST with pre- and post-measures of salivary cortisol. Subjects were divided into suppressors and nonsuppressors according to their post-DST levels. Bulimic suppressors and nonsuppressors were compared for their basal cortisol levels, body weight (body mass index, BMI), previous episodes of anorexia nervosa, and their results in psychometric tests. A total of 16 (33.3%) out of 48 women with bulimia nervosa (BN) failed to suppress in the DST. Basal salivary cortisol levels were elevated in bulimic nonsuppressors. Significant differences between suppressors and nonsuppressors were found for body weight and previous episodes of anorexia nervosa. The results are in accordance with recent findings. They support the hypothesized association between low body weight and DST nonsuppression. Using saliva cortisol in the standard DST could be advantageous for studying bulimic patients. Furthermore, the results show the importance of determining HPA reagibility when measuring cortisol in bulimic patients.     

MMPI/MMPI-2: comparisons of amnesic patients.

The amnesic population provides a unique opportunity to examine the reliability of clinical tests because amnesics do not consciously recollect initial testing sessions. In this study, amnesic subjects were studied to examine the reliability between the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) and the MMPI-2. Findings indicated that there were no statistical differences between versions of the MMPI and further revealed that many of the scales were significantly correlated. Amnesic patients produced elevated scores on subscales two (depression) and eight (schizophrenia), not unlike various other groups of neurologically impaired individuals. This indicates that MMPI and MMPI-2 scores in these patient populations may reflect the medical and psychosocial effects of brain damage rather than premorbid personality dysfunction. A close evaluation of amnesics' performance, in conjunction with the critical items they endorsed, offers insight into the personality traits of the amnesic patient population. The relative stability of performance across personality tests administered over several weeks is relevant to the formation and stability of the amnesic's concept of self.     

神经症、癔病、精神分裂症患者明尼苏达多相人格问卷测查分析

目的探讨神经症、癌症、精神分裂症患者明尼苏这多相人格问卷（MMPI）基本量表这一个性纬度方面的个性特征及其差异。方法应用MMPI测试软件对96例神经症患者,75例癔症患者及106例精神分裂症患者分别进行测试,记录3组患者基本量表得分,并进行统计学分析。结果3组患者基本量表得分,经单因素方差分析,除k和MF量表外,均有统计学意义（P〈0．05或P〈0．01）;神经症患者HS、D、Hy、Pd、Pt和Si量表分均显著高于癔症和精神分裂症患者（P〈0．05或P〈0．01）;癔症组F和Ma量表分显著高于精神分裂症和神经症组（P〈0．05）。L、Hs、D、Pd、Pa、Pt、Sc、Ma、Si各量表分均显著高于精神分裂症组（P〈0．05或P〈0．01）;精神分裂症患者L分最高,与癌症和神经症患者均有统计学意义（P〈0．01或P〈0．05）。结论神经症、癔症和精神分裂症患者均存在不同程度的个性偏离。且3组之间存在统计学显著差异。     

Cluster analysis of insomniacs' MMPI profiles: relation of subtypes to sleep history and treatment outcome

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) profiles of 100 insomniacs who presented for treatment at a university medical center were analyzed by a hierarchical clustering procedure. This analysis revealed two major personality types that accounted for 88% of the sample. The two types referred to as "Type 1" and "Type 2" insomniacs differed significantly in regard to sleep history questionnaire responses and responsivity to treatment. MMPI scales and sleep history questionnaire items suggested that Type 1 insomniacs were less defended, more aroused/activated, and had sleep histories characterized by more childhood sleep problems and greater difficulties with sleep-disruptive cognitions than did Type 2 patients. Further, Type 1 patients had a poorer response to behavioral treatment as measured by change in sleep-onset latency than did Type 2 patients. These results suggest that the MMPI may be useful in identifying distinctive personality subgroups among insomniacs. Treatment implications are discussed, and mechanisms underlying the group differences are considered.     

MMPI and intelligence correlates: assessment of relationships via multivariate analyses

The relationships among MMPI scales and four different intellectual ability tests were studied. The subjects, 201 females and 1,429 males, performed four ability tests and the MMPI successively, in one continuous session. The findings indicated relatively low levels of Pearson and canonical correlations. However, regression analyses, in which the 10 MMPI clinical scales were employed as predictors and the 4 ability tests as predicted variables, yielded 18% to 37% of explained variance, with significant differences in patterns of equations between genders. The results are discussed briefly as related to objectives of research that concern the relationships between personality measures and intellectual ability indices.     

Recidivism, perceived problem-solving abilities, MMPI characteristics, and violence: a study of black and white incarcerated male adult offenders

This study examined recidivism, perceived problem-solving abilities, type of offense, and personality characteristics in an incarcerated male population. Twenty black males and 32 white males were selected systematically from inmate populations. The MMPI, its special scales, and the PSI scales were analyzed; F, L, Re, and Do scales reported significant results. Recidivists scored significantly higher than nonrecidivists on the impulsive scale of the Problem Solving Inventory. Black recidivists generated significantly higher scores on the F scale than did black or white nonrecidivists. The Pd scale reported a significant main effect for type of offense (p less than .05). Offenders incarcerated for violent crimes scored higher on the Pd scale than the nonviolent criminals. This research study demonstrated the utility of the MMPI and the PSI in discriminating between nonviolent and violent criminals.     

Multidimensional pain inventory profile classifications and psychopathology

The Multidimensional Pain Inventory (MPI) and the MMPI have been used widely to assess chronic pain patients. This study examined the relationship between patient profile classifications generated by the MPI and psychopathology as measured by the MMPI. MPI Dysfunctional and Interpersonally Distressed means were significantly different than the MPI Adaptive Coper means on scales 4, 6, 7, and 8 of the MMPI. The Dysfunctional and Adpative Coper means were also significantly different on MMPI scale 2. MMPI profiles for 79% classified as Dysfunctional and 62% classified as Interpersonally Distressed displayed psychopathology as defined by significant two-point scale elevations. Only 23% of those classified as Adaptive Copers had significant two-point MMPI scale elevations.     

Personality and psychopathology in patients with temporomandibular joint pain-dysfunction syndrome. A controlled investigation

OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to deepen the understanding of the psychosomatic aspects of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain dysfunction syndrome. Patients affected by this syndrome were compared with both healthy subjects and psychiatric patients, using both self-report and physician-scored psychological measures. METHODS: Three sex- and age-matched groups were recruited: a TMJ group (n = 32), a healthy group (n = 22) and a psychiatric group (n = 22). The psychiatric group consisted of outpatients diagnosed as having a DSM-IV anxiety or depressive disorder of mild to moderate severity. Psychometric assessment included the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) and the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS). RESULTS: Psychiatric patients scored higher than both the comparison groups on all but one of the MMPI scales; the majority of the differences were significant or approached significance. TMJ patients scored higher than healthy controls on the Hs (hypochondriasis; p< or =0.01), Hy (hysteria; p< or =0.01) and D (depression; p< or =0.05) scales. Psychiatric patients scored higher than TMJ patients on the HARS psychic anxiety subscale (p< or =0.05), while TMJ patients scored higher than psychiatric patients on the somatic anxiety subscale (p< or = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Certain personality characteristics were associated with TMJ dysfunction. However, further longitudinal studies should be performed to properly assess causal relationships. Despite signs of neuroticism, anxiety and depression, patients with TMJ dysfunction differed from anxious and depressed patients. While the latter displayed a higher level of psychopathology, each group was characterised by a distinct pattern of anxiety symptoms. In addition, a substantial proportion of TMJ patients had little awareness of their inner states and emotions.     

Validation of MMPI profile subtypes among opioid addicts who are beginning methadone maintenance treatment

The purpose of the present research was (1) to examine the stability of MMPI subtypes within a VA drug abusing population; and (2) to provide external validation for these subtypes. The MMPI was administered to 107 male veterans who were entering methadone maintenance treatment. Normal sphere personality characteristics, sociodemographic information, and self- and interviewer ratings were collected by use of the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF) and the Addiction Severity Index (ASI). Using D2 analysis, each MMPI profile was compared to the mean profile for three MMPI profile clusters obtained by Roszell, Chaney, and Blaes (1983) on a previous sample. Normal, psychoneurotic, and schizoid profiles were found in percentages similar to Roszell et al. The normal cluster was divided into two groups with and without T score elevations above 70 on the clinical scales. The normal group with profile elevations was similar to profile groups labeled as psychopathic in previous research. The four MMPI profile subtypes were compared on the 16PF and the ASI. The psychoneurotic and schizoid groups demonstrated higher levels of emotional distress and psychiatric difficulty than did the normal or psychopathic groups. The psychopathic and schizoid groups had more legal problems than the other two groups; the normal group had less evidence of marital and family problems.     

Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI) findings among breast clinic patients after initial evaluation and at 4- or 8-month follow-up

Twenty-seven patients who subsequently underwent benign biopsy and 41 patients diagnosed to have breast cancer completed the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI) after initial examination in a breast problem clinic and again after 4 months or, for CA patients who were completing a course of chemo/radio-therapy, after 8 months. At initial testing, the trend toward fewer moderate-severe disorders among the benign biopsy (BB) group did not reach statistical significance. However, at follow-up, the difference was significant; the BB group showed fewer moderate-severe disorders (7.5%) than the cancer (CA) group (29%). Concordance of two-point peak elevations on scales 1-8, S, C, and P was examined. For the BB group, 56% had the same two high points on both testings, compared to only 27% of the CA group. Test-retest correlations on personality scales were generally lower for the CA group than for the BB group. We concluded that (1) approximately 30% of breast CA patients showed a disruption of psychological adjustment clearly severe enough to merit consideration of a mental health referral; (2) despite the frequency of significant distress, major affective and thought disorders were infrequent among this group; (3) distress associated with breast CA may interfere with the reliable assessment of long-standing personality traits.