Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory - Essay Example

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory MMPI The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) is a personality test used in mental healthfields. This test identifies personal, social, and behavioral problems in psychiatric patients. It provides information to identify problems, diagnosis, and treatment planning geared toward the patient. It has also been used for job screening and non/clinical assessments (Wikipedia, 2007). There are two versions, the MMPI and the MMPI-2. The original MMPI developed at the University of Minnesota was published in 1942. The MMPI-2 a standardized version for adults 18 and over was released in 1989 and revised in 2001 (Wikipedia, 2007). The MMPI has assessed in a variety of areas, such as: Criminal justice and corrections; evaluation of disorders; screen candidates for high safety positions; assess medical patients; evaluate participants in substance abuse programs; support college students and counseling; marriage and family counseling; and, screen international adoption parent. The MMPI is not sold and has been replaced by the MMPI-2 (Wikipedia, 2007). The MMPI-2 has ten trait scales. There are 566 true-false statements. The standardized score: T scores; M=50; SD=10 (Hunt, 2000). According to Wikipedia (2007) these are as follows: Scale 1 Hypochondriases is for a neurotic concern over bodily functioning. Scale 2 Depression, it identifies poor morale, the lack of hope in the future, and general dissatisfaction with ones own life. The high scores are identified as clinical depression and the low scores as unhappiness with life. Scale 3 Hysteria is for stressful situations. The high scores tend to identify brighter, better educated, and higher social classes. Women tend to score higher. Scale Psychopathic Deviation measures social deviation, lack of acceptance of authority, and amorality. Adolescents tend to score higher. Scale 5 Masculinity-Femininity was originally used to detect homosexuals but was not accurate. It is used to measure traditional masculine or feminine roles prior to 1960 and it is related to intelligence, education, and socioeconomic status. Scale 6 Paranoia identifies paranoid symptoms, such as: Ideas or reference, feelings of persecution, grandiose self-concepts, suspiciousness, excessive sensitivity, and rigid opinions and attitudes. Scale 7 Psychasthenia indicates Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and shows abnormal fears, self-criticism, difficulties in concentration, and guilt feelings. Scales 8 Schizophrenia assesses bizarre thought processes and peculiar perceptions, social alienation, poor familial relationships, difficulties in concentration and impulse control, lack of deep interests, disturbing questions of self-worth, and sexual difficulties. Scale 9 Hypomania identifies elevated mood, accelerated speech and motor activity, irritability, flight of ideas, and periods of depression. Scale 10 Social Introversion identifies the tendency to withdraw from social contacts and responsibilities. It also includes four Validity Scales. These detect “deviant test-taking attitudes” and help the accuracy of the other scales (Wikipedia, 2007). These are: - The “Cannot Say” scale. It is a frequency of items omitted or marked both true and false. The large amount of missing items questions the other scales. - The L scale is used as an attempt to present the people as they presented themselves in an overly favorable light. - The F scale is a deviant or rare response scale, to view items rarely endorsed by normal people. - The K scale is used to adjust the scores on the other scales and the scores are presented when the tests results are interpreted. Hunt (2000) wanted to test that low iron status or other nutritional deficiencies are associated with symptoms of depression in premenopausal women of child bearing age. The author associated the blood indices of iron status to scores on the MMPI and responses to a mood adjective checklist. This took place during the women´s menstrual cycle. There were 365 women who seemed healthy participants from Grand Forks, North Dakota. They found that the frequency of the elevated MMPI Depression scores did not relate to the frequency of low hemoglobin, transferrin saturation, or ferritin. The results did not support the hypothesis of low iron status contributing to symptoms of depression in women. According to Butcher et al. (ND) both the MMPI and the MMPI-2 have been translated into other languages and have been shown to be effective instruments for clinical assessment on an international basis. The computer-derived reports in other countries have also been able to describe the symptoms and behaviors. They stated that four of these translations, “…have been published following standard translation/adaptation and norming procedures conducted by bilingual psychologists native to the target country (French, Spanish versions for Mexico, Spain, and the United States). The remaining nine are in various stages of development.” Butcher et al. (ND) state that these examinations in various countries although are United States (U.S.) interpretations and norms were used to provide clinical support for the use of the MMPI-A. They presented examples on the validity of scores, for instance in: Korea the adolescent had a more serious disturbance, the F scale was more elevated; Israel, the individual in the second testing had more elevated L and K scale scores versus the first testing; and, Italy the young man was hospitalized after an unsuccessful suicide attempt. He presented a clinical phenomenon of denial. This is one of the cases published in Butcher et al. (ND): Mexico. This is a MMPI-A version that was administered, a published Spanish translation by Lucio-G.M. et al. (ND). Alejandro eighteen years of age finished high school and was waiting for his acceptance to a public university. He was not accepted and became depressed. He is from a high middle social class living in Mexico City. His reading comprehension is good, his family well educated, and he has a good cultural background. He scored an Intelligence quotient (IQ) of 119 on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS). The psychologist emphasized that the MMPI-A is good for this social class, however, not for lower class adolescents with low education and reading level marginal. Alejandro was depressed and he had no interests. He had sleep disturbances (hypersomnia), felt worthless, could not concentrate, and was indecisive. His girlfriend rejected him and he felt his friends treated him differently because he failed the admission test to the university. He wanted to choose between Medicine and Chemistry. His mother did not want him to pursue Medicine because of the length in career and his father had no opinions which added to his stress. His inclination was to study Literature, however undecided. He quarreled with his mother. She compared him to sisters. His father wanted him to be active while he waited to re-take the admissions test. He was not studying or working. His father thought that his depression was due to sleeping late. Alejandro did not use alcohol or drugs and had never been arrested or confined in prison. The psychologist stated, “This is a valid MMPI-A. He is neither denying problems nor claiming an excessive number of unusual symptoms. His low K score suggests an overly frank self-appraisal, possibly presenting a more negative picture than is warranted. This may reflect a need to get attention for his problems”. Alejandro continued his psychological treatment and showed an improvement. He thought the MMPI-A results were useful to him. He took the admissions test and passed it. He decided to pursue Chemistry. He diminished the negative attitudes about himself and was getting along better with his friends. The psychologist recommended that since there were some small differences between the Mexican and U.S. norms the report would be more accurate if Mexican norms were used. Ellick and Paradis (November, 2004) found in their case study the effect of the September 11, 2001 of the World Trade center terrorist attack in a man with preexisting psychotic illness. They demonstrated in this particular case that without an early and specialized treatment “…psychotic individuals exposed to trauma are vulnerable to an exacerbation of their psychopathology.” p. 1313 They studied Mr. B who was a 38 year old African American who was married and had no prior history of psychiatric hospitalization. His mother and a sibling had been diagnosed as schizophrenic. Prior to September 11, he believed he was Jesus Christ; that his home was tapped; and, that law enforcement officials were following him. His family attested to the fact that although he had psychotic symptoms it had never interfered with his ability to work and had been working since high school. The authors reported that Mr. B had helped his coworkers to evacuate the building and bystanders to evacuate the area. His supervisor later referred him to the employee assistance program due to his strange dressing and disorganized behavior. They stated that he continuously repeated that it was the end of the world and that he would “…save the world by solving numerical codes and assisting prominent political figures”. According to the researchers Mr. B augmented his drinking habits, stopped eating on a regular basis, and was experiencing insomnia. Although he had a posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) he had not been referred for psychiatric assessment or for PTSD treatment. He was taken to the emergency department after disrobing in public. It was at that moment that he was admitted to the inpatient psychiatric unit. He was delusional; he had problems with speech and illogical thinking; and, he had auditory hallucinations. Ellick and Paradis (November, 2004) reported, “His valid Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) profile showed elevations on scales 8 (schizophrenia), 9 (mania), and 6 (paranoia). His PK Scale score (posttraumatic stress disorder) was not elevated, and no clinically significant signs of anxiety were found on the MMPI-2”. p. 1314 He was medicated and discharged after 42 days and enrolled in a day treatment program. Williams (2005) is opposed to using the MMPI. These are his reasons: The MMPI is over 65 years old. Its development was to help clarify categories of diagnosed mental illness. The items and scores were based on responses of patients´ relatives and visitors. The items included questions about sexuality, bodily fixations, hallucinations, delusions, and gender roles. He stated that there are several missing elements from tests when they are chosen to hire people. These are as follows: 1. A job analysis; 2. A technical test review; 3. A validation study; and, 4. Expert advice from an experienced industrial psychologist. This researcher agrees with the MMPI test and the questions it poses in the adequate milieu. It has been an instrument of measurement to diagnose mental illness that has validity and reliability. It took into account having it translated not only by experts in the field but by native speakers of the tongue it would be translated into. This researcher, however, believes it has too many items that need answers and considering it is used for patients with mental illnesses this may add to their stress and/or for the reason(s) they were identified to take the tests in the first place. The uses and abuses of the MMPI is that it has been used in areas where it was not the best assessment instrument to be used and it lost its credibility, thinking that the test was not using its criteria and the results were not answering the posed questions for that which they wanted answers. To ameliorate this situation experts in their field should fully understand what the MMPI is best suited for and not just choose it because it is a well known instrument. REFERENCES Butcher, J. N., Ellertsen, B., Ubostad, B., Bubb, E, Lucio, E., Lim, J., Ophir, M., Almagor, M., Kokkevi, A., Gillet, I., Castro, D., Cheung, F., Tsang, M., Pongpanich, L. O., Atlis, M. M., Atlas, M., Derksen, J., Scott, R., Mamani, W., Aroztegui Valez, J., Parabera, S., Sirigatti, S., Massai, V., Graziani, G., Tanzella, M. & Elsbury, S. (ND). International case studies on the MMPI-A: An objective approach. Retrieved 2/25/07 8:23 am from http://www1.umn.edu/mmpi/documents/casestudies.pdf Ellick, J. D. and Paradis, C. M. (2004). The effects of the September 11 World Trade Center attack on a man with a preexisting mental illness. American Psychiatric Association. 55(11). Retrieved from website 2/25/07 11:40 am from http://www.psychservices.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/reprint/55/11/1313 Fishing for a lawsuit? Try using the MMPI: Using tests not designed for hiring can spell trouble. Retrieved from website 2/25/07 12:44 pm from http://www.ere.net/articles/db/4350349D3D82489EBEB6FC16C4C796FE.asp Hunt, J. R. (2000). Iron status and depression in premenopausal women: An MMPI study – Minnesota Multiphasic personality Inventory. Look Smart. Retrieved from website 2/25/07 7:42 am from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0GDQ/is_2_25/ai_55240979/print Wikipedia (February 9, 2007). Last modified 6:27 pm Retrieved from website 2/24/07 8:18 pm from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Multiphasic_Personality_Inventory Read More