Exploring Relationships of Psychopathology in Hypersexual Patients Using the MMPI-2

Abstract

This article reports the findings of a study investigating relationships among Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) scales as they pertain to a group of individuals seeking help for hypersexual behavior (N = 152). A number of MMPI-2 scale elevations were prevalent with this group, suggesting that some of these patients experience symptoms associated with psychopathology and interference or impairment in important areas of personal and interpersonal functioning. We failed to find any evidence in our data supporting the notion that hypersexual patients experience addictive tendencies. For a significant portion of the group, however, there were few-to-minimal elevations, reflecting normal psychological profiles. An overall important finding in our data suggests that patients presenting with hypersexual behavior are a diverse group, sufficiently so that studying subsamples of this group may lead to a clearer understanding of this behavior. Models that promote a homogenous conceptualization and treatment of hypersexuality likely miss important differences that provide valuable insight when working with this population.