The MMPI and chronic pain.

112 chronic pain patients (mean age 48.4 yrs) completed the MMPI upon entering either an anesthesiologic or a psychiatric treatment program. Pretreatment MMPI performance was found to be successful in predicting patient outcome an average of 20 mo following treatment, with the K (Test-Taking Attitude), Hypochondriasis, Hysteria, and Masculinity and Femininity scales accounting for most of the variance. The strength of this relationship varied as a function of the measure of outcome and type of treatment received. Substantial MMPI differences were found when Ss with only one part of their body in pain were compared with those with multiple pain complaints. Significant MMPI differences were also found in comparisons based on Ss' sex, type of pain (e.g., head vs back), and type of treatment for which was referred (i.e., psychiatric vs anesthesiologic). Clinical implications of the observed MMPI differences are discussed. Results are seen as demonstrating the value of the MMPI as a clinical and research instrument within this population. (14 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The use of the MMPI for cross-cultural personality study: A preliminary report on the German translation.

Structured personality tests have seldom been used in intercultural comparisons, but present certain advantages over other techniques. The first study using a German translation of the MMPI has been reported. German men and women attending a summer course at the University of Marburg in 1948 showed profiles significantly higher on most scales than American students. Since there is a mixture of factors which might have effects, interpretation of the results is not clear, but the method seems to merit serious attention. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child: A cross-cultural view.

The U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child (U.N. General Assembly, 1989) enumerates substantive children's rights and implementation processes through which these rights are to be realized. Cultural differences in interpreting the Convention could occur in both of the aforementioned areas. This article examines cultural variability in beliefs about (a) the appropriate distribution of power in families and institutions; (b) the degree to which behavior should be regulated by individuals versus through external rules; (c) the scope of responsibility individuals should have for themselves, their immediate and extended families, and society's children; and (d) the importance of individual rights versus group and family loyalties in the ordering of society. Cultures may vary widely in how the best interests of the child are defined. Awareness of these areas of cultural divergence could help decision makers draft and implement culturally sensitive international policy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

MMPI scales as predictors of pain-coping strategies preferred by patients with chronic pain.

Correlated pain-coping strategies preferred by 300 patients with chronic pain with their MMPI scores. Data from 2 samples of patients indicated that self-management and social support were related to good adjustment and that helplessness and medical remedies were related to poor adjustment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The MMPI: A case study in dissimulation.

Presents a case study in which a 45-yr-old male patient referred by the criminal court received 4 MMPIs over a period of 10 mo. and attempted to present himself as mentally healthy though suffering from a mental disorder. This positive malingering is examined in terms of (a) the findings of previous studies on malingering, (b) the patient's clinically observed dynamics, and (c) the difference between external instructional motivation to dissimulate and internal motivation to do so. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A cross-cultural comparison of American Indian, Black, and White inpatients on the MMPI and presenting symptoms.

Studied personality differences among 97 Black, 454 White, and 36 American-Indian psychiatric inpatients, aged 16–70 yrs. Comparisons were made both on the total samples and on matched samples of Black–White and American-Indian–White patients according to SES. Data included presenting complaints, diagnoses, demographic information, and the MMPI. Results show that Black inpatients, in both representative and matched comparisons, had significantly higher scores than both other groups on the Validity, Paranoia, Schizophrenia, and Hypomania subscales of the MMPI. Results may reflect actual symptomatic differences between the groups rather than supporting the conclusion that the MMPI "overpathologizes" for Black patients. (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ethnicity and MMPI performance: A review.

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) performance as a function of ethnic group membership was reviewed in Asian Americans, Blacks, Hispanics, and Native Americans. There did not appear to be a simple relation between ethnic group membership and MMPI performance, either within or between such populations as normal individuals, psychiatric patients, prisoners, or substance abuse patients. Moderator variables, such as social class, education, and type of setting, seem to play an important role in determining the specific pattern of scores that are found. There is a paucity of studies that have investigated whether there are any empirical correlates of the obtained differences when two ethnic groups are compared on the MMPI, that is, investigations of the external validity of the MMPI in various ethnic groups. It seems premature to conclude that new norms for the MMPI are needed for specific ethnic groups without additional research that examines the issues raised in this review. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

MMPI and race: A controlled study.

A 4-way, mixed-model, repeated-measures ANOVA; 13 1-way, balanced-cell ANOVA; and chi-square analyses of scales, items, high-points, number of scales with T?≥?70, and 4 high-scale categories were performed on MMPI results of 462 Black and White psychiatric patients matched for sex, age, residence, employment, years of education, marital status, socioeconomic status, and hospital status. Contrary to what has been reported previously, results indicate no differences beyond chance for any of the dependent variables. This finding is attributed to unique initial matching on crucial variables. (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The MMPI and recidivism.

Compared MMPIs of 80 recidivists and 68 parole successes from a state training school by analyzing mean scale scores, elevations, code types, and mean ranks of the clinical scales. No important differences were identified. Conclusions are (1) the MMPI used alone is not useful in identifying recidivists in relatively homogeneous delinquent populations, (2) its use should be restricted to the exploration of small differences between groups, and (3) the combined use of historical information and the MMPI to identify recidivists needs study. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The comparative validities of the Rorschach and MMPI: A meta-analysis.

A meta-analysis comparing "undirected" and "conceptual" MMPI studies, and conceptual Rorschach and MMPI studies, indicated the following conclusions, (a) Conceptual work more successfully validates an assessment instrument than does undirected investigation, (b) The validatory success of the "average" conceptual Rorschach study is comparable to that of similar MMPI work. This finding suggests that the former's questionable status may be based on sociocultural factors, rather than scientific ones, (c) The "average" conceptual Rorschach or MMPI study has only modest explanatory power, (d) Investigators' misuse of X2 has resulted in exaggerated effect size in many instances where the statistic was employed. It is suggested that future research be judged on the coherence of its inference processes, the specificity of its predictions, and the amount of variance it explains. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cognitive-processing bias in chronic pain: A review and integration.

Do patients with chronic pain selectively process pain- and illness-related stimuli? The evidence with regard to attention, interpretation, and recall biases is critically reviewed. A model is proposed to account for the findings in which it is suggested that biases in information processing in chronic pain are the result of overlap between 3 schemas: pain, illness, and self. With frequent repeated or continued experience of pain, the pain schema becomes enmeshed with illness and self-schemas. The extent of the enmeshment and the salient content of the schema determine the bias. A fundamental assumption is that all patients with pain selectively process sensory-intensity information. A clinical implication of the results is that processing biases that extend beyond this healthy and adaptive process to enmesh the self-schema with pain and illness schemas could maintain and exacerbate distress and illness behavior in patients with chronic pain. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Short forms of the MMPI with back pain patients.

Compared the Faschingbauer Abbreviated MMPI (FAM) and the Midi-Mult on a sample of 176 back pain outpatients. Correlations with the standard MMPI scales ranged from .67 to .93 on the FAM and from .71 to .89 on the Midi-Mult. The FAM showed higher agreement with MMPI code types than did the Midi-Mult. The 3 versions were compared to independent physician ratings of amount of functional component to patients' pain, and all 3 forms discriminated between "functional" and "organic" patient groups. Results provide tentative evidence that abbreviated MMPIs are useful measures of personality in this population. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

MMPI characteristics of alcoholics: A review.

Empirical research concerning the usefulness of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) in the identification of personality characteristics of alcoholics is reviewed. Scales, profile configurations, and item analyses are discussed. No single personality type is characteristic of all alcoholics. Although six cluster types occur with consistency, none of these types is unique to alcoholics. A focus on individual differences in future research and treatment planning is suggested. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

MMPI studies of counselors: A review.

Presents a current, systematic review of published MMPI research on counselor characteristics and effectiveness and discussed the importance of continuing research in this area. Counselors appear different from the general norms on the L, K, Hy, Pd, Mf, Ma, Si, Es, Do, Re, St, and Pr scales but only the L, K, Ma, and Si scales distinguish between counselors and persons in other professions. Only the Ma and Sc scales show promise of discriminating between effective and ineffective counselors in training. Weaknesses of the existing research are indicated and 2 basic questions are raised regarding inventory research on counselor effectiveness. (22 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Aging and everyday memory: A cross-cultural study.

Performance on computer-simulated, everyday memory tasks was found to deteriorate with age in 434 Belgian (aged 14–88 yrs) and 434 American Ss matched on gender and age. This age-related memory decline was reasonably consistent across samples. Difficulties in cross-cultural research and the advantages of ecologically valid measurement instruments are discussed. Instruments included a grocery list selective reminding test, the Wechsler Memory Scale, the Benton Visual Retention Test, and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The MMPI K + profile: A reexamination: Erratum.

Reports an error in the original article by Malcolm D. Gynther and Patricia J. Brilliant (Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1968[Oct], Vol 32[5, Pt. 1], 616-617). On page 617, the note to Table 1 should read as follows: "Note.-Abbreviations: P = psychotic; N = neurotic; BD = behavior disorder; O = organic; S = single; M = married; D = divorced; O = other". (The following abstract of this article originally appeared in record 1969-00131-001.) Examined the generality of the correlates associated with 1 of Marks and Seeman's actuarially derived MMPI profile types. No support was found for their results, which suggests that actuarial procedures produce results of local significance. The implication is that each setting will have to develop its own actuarial tables to ensure optimal validity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A causal analysis of chronic pain and depression.

There is considerable controversy in the literature regarding the extent to which chronic pain and depression are associated and the possible causal relationship of such an association. The present study examines these issues with a sample of 243 patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who were mailed questionnaires for six waves of data collection. The results indicated that RA patients experience higher levels of depressive symptomatology than community samples. Using a two-latent-variable, cross-lagged design, covariance structural modeling was conducted on self-report measures of pain and depression over 6-month intervals. Results most strongly supported a causal model in which pain predicts depression during the last 12 months of the study. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Pain-related correlates of MMPI profile subgroups among back pain patients.

96 17–80 yr old male and 218 16–83 yr old female outpatients at a back pain clinic were administered the Cornell Medical Index, the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), the McGill Pain Assessment Questionnaire—Revised, and the Shipley Institute of Living Scale. Analysis showed greater disruption of daily activities and affective disturbance and poorer adjustment to pain among subgroups with elevated neurotic scales. Results are consistent with those of similar studies of chronic pain patients showing that MMPI profile subgroups may be identified that are associated with relatively unique pain-related correlates. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Multidisciplinary treatment of chronic low back pain: A review.

Presents an overview of the general theoretical viewpoint of a multidisciplinary treatment of chronic low-back pain. Results from a number of multidisciplinary pain clinics are summarized, and major treatment modalities utilized by this approach are critically reviewed. (39 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The chronic pain syndrome: misconceptions and management

The management of chronic pain is a universal and vexing problem for physicians. Literature indicates that health care providers have a poor understanding of basic concepts relating to pain, which leads to frustration for the physician and inadequate relief for the patient. This paper addresses misconceptions about organic versus functional pain, discusses placebos and administration of narcotic analgesics, and outlines therapeutic alternatives. Emphasis is on distinguishing chronic pain of benign origin from that secondary to malignancy as an individual treatment plan is formulated.