Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory Personality Research Articles

Do changes on MCMI-II personality disorder scales in short-term psychotherapy reflect trait or state changes?

The Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI) has become an important and commonly used instrument to assess personality functioning. Several studies report significant changes on MCMI personality disorder scales after psychological treatment. The aim of the study was to investigate whether pre–post-treatment changes in 39-session psychodynamic group psychotherapy as measured with the MCMI reflect real personality change or primarily reflect symptomatic state changes. Pre–post-treatment design included 236 psychotherapy outpatients. Personality changes were measured on the MCMI-II and symptomatic state changes on the Symptom Check List 90-R (SCL-90-R). The MCMI Schizoid, Avoidant, Self-defeating, and severe personality disorder scales revealed substantial changes, which could be predicted from changes on SCL-90-R global symptomatology (GSI) and on the SCL-90-R Depression scale. The MCMI Dependent personality score was the only MCMI personality scale showing significant change when the SCL-90-R Depression change score was included as a covariate. Splitting patients into those with and without personality disorders did not change the results. Observed changes on MCMI-II personality disorder scales in short-term psychotherapy reflect change in symptomatic state. The MCMI-II Base Rate cut-off points probably include too many patients, justifying the introduction of new scoring procedures in the MCMI-III.

Relationships between personality disorder attributes and friendship qualities among college students

Personality disorder trait predictors of the quality and durability of close personal friendships have rarely been examined in the literature. Links between Acquaintance Description Form (ADF-F2) friendship qualities and Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI-II) personality disorder attributes were explored in this study of 363 college students. Passive-Aggressive, Avoidant, Schizotypal, Sadistic-Aggressive, Antisocial, Borderline, and Self-Defeating features were most closely associated with friendship insecurity. Participants exhibiting Passive-Aggressive, Self-Defeating and Borderline features tended to view their closest friendship as being more strongly influenced by external social forces. Passive-Aggressive scores and Personal Maintenance Difficulty were positively related. Histrionic traits were associated with descriptions of the closest friend as affirming and useful in utilitarian value. Sex differences were minimal in the prediction of relationship qualities using the MCMI-II personality disorder dimensions.

Personality pathology, depression and HPA axis functioning.

Hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis functioning, as measured by the dexamethasone suppression test (DST), has been extensively investigated in major depressive disorder (MDD). Evaluating DST response in MDD patients while simultaneously considering clinically relevant personality disorders may further clarify the contribution of both personality pathology and HPA axis function to depressive symptoms. The present study measured personality pathology by administering the revised version of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI-II) in a sample of 25 patients diagnosed with MDD. Analyses revealed that suppressors (n = 19) scored significantly higher than non-suppressors (n = 6) on six of the 13 MCMI-II personality disorder scales: Avoidant, Schizoid, Self-Defeating, Passive-Aggressive, Schizotypal and Borderline. Increased personality pathology was associated with normal suppression of cortisol following the DST. This suggests that suppression of the DST may be associated with depressive states linked with personality pathology while the more biologically based depression is associated with abnormal HPA pathophysiology. Copyright 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Coping styles predict change in personality disorders.

The present follow-up study is the first to investigate whether dispositional coping styles prospectively influence change in the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI-II) personality disorders. The sample consisted of 155 psychiatric outpatients who where investigated twice--namely six and seven years after their admission to the clinic. Coping styles prospectively predicted change in most of the MCMI-II personality disorders, whereas sex and age did not affect the outcome. The use of problem-focused coping and the seeking of social support improved the patient levels on the MCMI-II personality disorder scores. Dysfunctional coping styles such as selfdistraction, disengagement, use of alcohol or drugs, and venting of emotions, however, aggravated the patient MCMI-II personality disorders. Furthermore, the effects of coping patterns tended to be specific for single personality disorders.

Personality subgroups in an inpatient Vietnam veteran treatment program.

Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory personality profiles of 250 male inpatient Vietnam veterans were examined to locate subgroups within that population. Using a hierarchical cluster analysis to form relatively homogeneous groups, four clusters were identified which accounted for 98% of the population. Three clusters had Millon profiles suggestive of a stress reaction and one cluster had a profile indicative of an antisocial adjustment. As measured by a PTSD subscale of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory two clusters are high stress groups and two clusters are lower stress groups. The two Millon personality profiles in the high stress category were an 8-2-1/6 group and a 2-8-1-3 group. The lower stress groups had profiles of /8-2 and 6/8-5. The high stress groups are considered Posttraumatic Stress Disorder groups and the lower stress groups are considered nonPosttraumatic Stress Disorder groups.

Retest Reliability of the Million Clinical Multiaxial Inventory

This article reports on two studies which examined the temporal stability of the personality disorder subscales from the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI). The scales demonstrated adequate stability in psychiatric inpatients (retested with an average of just over 1 year between testings). Furthermore, a separate sample of depressed inpatients assessed when depressed and 6 weeks later showed that the stability of MCMI personality scales was observed even after patients displayed an initial reduction in depression severity. Although stability is vital to the accurate assessment of personality disorders, both studies also found high retest correlations for the MCMI clinical syndrome subscales. In general, these results suggest that patients displayed similar symptom patterns over time, whether construed as personality traits or characteristic patterns of responding when symptomatic.

Diagnosis of Personality Disorders by the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory

The diagnostic efficiency of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI) was examined with regard to the diagnosis of DSM-III axis II personality disorders by practicing psychiatrists. The MCMI displayed fairly good sensitivity but poor specificity and predictive power regarding the diagnosis of any personality disorder. Two possible explanations were offered: a) axis I psychopathology inflates scores on the MCMI personality disorder scales and causes an overdiagnosis of personality disorders by the test; or b) there is an under-recognition of axis II personality disorders (especially in the context of obvious axis I psychopathology) by the average practicing clinician.

An Exploration of Heterogeneity in an Inpatient Male Alcoholic Population*

This study investigated whether the 11 personality scales of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI) would reveal meaningful heterogeneity in an inpatient male alcoholic sample. A cluster analysis of the MCMI personality scale scores of 126 inpatients yielded four psychometrically distinct subgroups that met the criteria for selection of clusters. Differences between the clusters were tested for on a range of member characteristics and on questionnaire items relevant to a comprehensive view of the etiology and treatment of alcoholism. Significant differences between clusters were found for age, religion, type of substance use problem, and treatment completion. Tests on questionnaire items yielded significant differences on the subjects' reports of their ages when drinking became a problem, whether they had ever experienced alcohol–related seizures, and whether their current treatment was mandated by the criminal justice system. The largest number of significant differences between clusters were fo...

Factor structure of the MCMI basic personality scales and common-item artifact.

The eight basic personality scales of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI) were derived from Millon's theory of personality, but the adequacy of the MCMI for measuring Millon's personality constructs has never been assessed. One major problem with using factor analysis to illuminate the structure of the MCMI personality scales is that artifactual structure may result from item overlap among the scales. To analyze this, item-overlap coefficients were factored and compared to the factor structures of five subject samples. For the eight basic personality scales, three factors emerged for the overlap matrix and each of the five sample matrices: Aloof-Social, Aggressive-Submissive, and Lability-Restraint. It was concluded that these three factors are inconsistent with Millon's theory and that they will be found artifactually across a wide variety of populations due to overlapping items.

Air Force Pilot Personality: Hard Data on the "Right Stuff".

Three-hundred and fifty Air Force pilots undergoing Undergraduate Pilot Training were administered the Personality Research Form (PRF) and the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI) within the first four weeks of training. Pilots were significantly different from non-flying college students on several PRF scales. Cluster analyses indicated that three very distinct personality types exist in the data. These types were supported through multiple cross-validations. Descriptions of pilot personality types are given in terms of PRF and MCMI personality variables. The accuracy of prevailing stereotypes is examined in light of the data. Implications for future research and pilot selection criteria are discussed.

The Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI) as a treatment outcome measure for psychiatric inpatients.

The Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI) is a 175-item inventory designed to assess both clinical symptomatology and underlying, more enduring personality traits and syndromes. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the MCMI personality scales evidenced greater stability over time than did the MCMI symptom scales. The MCMI was administered to 151 consecutively admitted inpatients at an acute care, private psychiatric hospital. Patients were administered the MCMI shortly after admission and shortly before discharge. Results indicated that the personality scales evidenced greater stability than the symptomatology scales, although statistically significant changes between admission and discharge scores also occurred for the personality scales. Implications are discussed.

An examination of the relationship between personality patterns and symptom/mood patterns.

Relationships between various personality styles measured by the basic and pathological personality scales of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI) and mood or symptom states measured by the Profile of Mood State scales were examined. The MCMI personality scale-POMS symptom/mood scale relationships found in this study are compared with MCMI personality scale-MMPI and SCL-90 symptom/mood scale relationships reported in the MCMI manual. Consistent associations of moderate strength were found between: (a) the MCMI Compulsive-Conforming and Passive-Aggressive (Negativistic) scales (negative and positive associations, respectively) and various measures of depression, anxiety and hostility; (b) the MCMI Avoidant, Schizotypal and Borderline-Cycloid scales and various measures of depression and anxiety; (c) the MCMI Schizoid-Asocial scale and various measures of depression; and (d) the Histrionic-Gregarious scale and various measures of high energy-activity. These MCMI personality scale-symptom/mood scale relationships are generally consistent both with the underlying theory of personality and psychopathology upon which the MCMI is based and with the personality-symptom scale relationships found within the MCMI.