MMPI Research Articles

Personality Disorders and Correlates of Homicide Offenders: A Comparative Analysis

ABSTRACT Homicide is one of the most severe crimes in the criminal justice system. Evidence shows that the majority of offenders are likely to have a mental disorder. Studies have established a relationship between personality disorders, substance use and violence among offenders. The need to understand the concept of personality disorders related to homicide and non-homicide offending cannot be over-emphasized in low-and-middle-income countries. This study compared personality disorders, substance use, and correlates between homicide and non-homicide offenders. Faschingbauer’s Abbreviated Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (FAM) was used. Personality disorders were identified in a comparative study involving 204 homicide and non-homicide offenders in a Nigerian prison. Results indicated that paranoid personality disorder was prevalent among homicide offenders while antisocial personality disorder was prevalent among non-homicide offenders. The highest percentage of substance use was related to opioids among non-homicide offenders. The study helps to understand the importance of psychiatric assessment, mental health services and treatment options for offenders in custody.

Predicting suicide attempt history in a psychiatric inpatient sample: A replication and extension.

Stanley et al. (Psychological Assessment, 2018, 20, 1249) examined Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF; Ben-Porath & Tellegen, Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Restructured Form: Manual for administration, scoring, and interpretation, 2008/2011, University of Minnesota Press) profile configurations to predict which individuals engage in suicidal behavior using an outpatient psychiatric sample. Their results revealed that an interaction of overarousal [Hypomanic Activation (RC9) or Activation (ACT)] and shutdown [Demoralization (RCd)] indicators predicted increased history of suicide attempts. The purpose of the present study was to replicate and extend these results to a psychiatric inpatient sample in order to determine their generalizability to a clinically severe, at-risk population. The present study examined 581 valid MMPI-2-RF protocols of adult psychiatric inpatients who endorsed any level of suicide ideation on the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS; Posner et al., The American Journal of Psychiatry, 2011, 168, 1266) in the 2 weeks prior to admission. Results revealed that in four of the six models tested, shutdown (Low Positive Emotions [RC2], Helplessness/Hopelessness [HLP]) but not overactivation (RC9, ACT) indicators provided an additional prediction of suicide attempt history beyond Suicidal/Death Ideation (SUI) and the covariates. The two models containing RCd did not provide additional predictive value above Suicidal/Death Ideation (SUI) with main effects or interaction terms. Overall, our results do not replicate those of Stanley et al. (Psychological Assessment, 2018, 20, 1249). Furthermore, while SUI was the best predictor of a history of suicide attempts, results indicate the main effects of RC2 and HLP were negative predictors of prior suicide attempts. Limitations of the study and clinical implications of the results are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

MMPI-2 RF: The Diagnostic Construct Validity for Depression

MMPI-2 RF: The Diagnostic Construct Validity for Depression

Psychological predictors of bipolarity in panic disorder.

BACKGROUNDPanic disorders frequently occur with affective disorders, particularly bipolar disorder. Patients with panic disorder and bipolar disorder are more likely to present with severe symptoms, such as high rates of suicidal behavior, poor symptomatic and functional recovery, and poor drug responses.AIMTo investigate the psychological characteristics of panic disorder patients related to bipolarity.METHODSA total of 254 patients (136 men and 118 women, mean age = 33.48 ± 3.2 years) who were diagnosed with panic disorder were included in the study. Panic disorder with bipolarity (BP+) was defined as a score of ≥ 7 on the Korean version of the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (K-MDQ), and a score lower than 7 was considered as a panic disorder without bipolarity (BP-). Self-report questionnaires were analyzed to examine their association with bipolarity. Psychological tests used in the study were the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ), Panic Disorder Severity Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). Statistical analyses were performed to evaluate the correlation between bipolarity of panic disorder patients and various psychological test results indicative of psychological characteristics.RESULTSPatients with a K-MDQ score of 7 or more were considered to have a history of manic or hypomanic episodes (BP+ group, n = 128), while patients with K-MDQ scores below 7 were defined as those without bipolarity (BP- group, n = 126). The BP+ group were more likely to be unmarried (single 56.2% vs 44.4%, P = 0.008) and younger (30.78 ± 0.59 vs 37.11 ± 3.21, P < 0.001). Additionally, the BP+ group had significantly higher scores on psychological assessment scales, such as the hypochondriasis, psychopathic deviate, masculinity-femininity, psychasthenia, schizophrenia, and hypomania (Ma) in MMPI, and novelty seeking, harm avoidance and self-transcendence in TCI, and STAI (state and trait) compared to the BP- group. In logistic regression analysis, depression in MMPI, self-directedness in TCI, and age were negatively associated with MDQ score, meanwhile, Ma in MMPI and STAI (trait) were positively associated with MDQ score.CONCLUSIONThe result of this study suggests that almost 50% of patients with panic disorder are likely to have hypomanic or manic symptoms, and certain psychological factors are associated bipolarity in panic disorder.

Differentiating Functional Cognitive Disorder from Early Neurodegeneration: A Clinic-Based Study.

Functional cognitive disorder (FCD) is a relatively common cause of cognitive symptoms, characterised by inconsistency between symptoms and observed or self-reported cognitive functioning. We aimed to improve the clinical characterisation of FCD, in particular its differentiation from early neurodegeneration. Two patient cohorts were recruited from a UK-based tertiary cognitive clinic, diagnosed following clinical assessment, investigation and expert multidisciplinary team review: FCD, (n = 21), and neurodegenerative Mild Cognitive Impairment (nMCI, n = 17). We separately recruited a healthy control group (n = 25). All participants completed an assessment battery including: Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised (HVLT-R), Trail Making Test Part B (TMT-B); Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS) and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2RF). In comparison to healthy controls, the FCD and nMCI groups were equally impaired on trail making, immediate recall, and recognition tasks; had equally elevated mood symptoms; showed similar aberration on a range of personality measures; and had similar difficulties on inbuilt performance validity tests. However, participants with FCD performed significantly better than nMCI on HVLT-R delayed free recall and retention (regression coefficient −10.34, p = 0.01). Mood, personality and certain cognitive abilities were similarly altered across nMCI and FCD groups. However, those with FCD displayed spared delayed recall and retention, in comparison to impaired immediate recall and recognition. This pattern, which is distinct from that seen in prodromal neurodegeneration, is a marker of internal inconsistency. Differentiating FCD from nMCI is challenging, and the identification of positive neuropsychometric features of FCD is an important contribution to this emerging area of cognitive neurology.

Can the MMPI Predict Adult ADHD? An Approach Using Machine Learning Methods.

(1) Background: Adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms cause various social difficulties due to attention deficit and impulsivity. In addition, in contrast to ADHD in childhood, ADHD in adulthood is difficult to diagnose due to mixed psychopathologies. This study aimed to determine whether it is possible to predict ADHD symptoms in adults using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) with machine learning (ML) techniques; (2) Methods: Data collected from 5726 college students were analyzed. The MMPI-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) was used, and ADHD symptoms in adults were evaluated using the Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Self-Report Scale (ASRS). For statistical analysis, three ML algorithms were used, i.e., K-nearest neighbors (KNN), linear discriminant analysis (LDA), and random forest, with the ASRS evaluation result as the dependent variable and the 50 MMPI-2-RF scales as predictors; (3) Results: When the KNN, LDA, and random forest techniques were applied, the accuracy was 93.1%, 91.2%, and 93.6%, respectively, and the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.722, 0.806, and 0.790, respectively. The AUC of the LDA method was the largest, with an excellent level of diagnostic accuracy; (4) Conclusions: ML using the MMPI-2 in a large group could provide reliable accuracy in screening for adult ADHD.

رابطه فعالیت گرایی هیپومانیا، ضعف روحیه و هیجانات منفی مختل‌کننده مبتنی بر فرم بازسازی‌شده پرسشنامه شخصیتی چندوجهی مینه‌سوتا-2 (MMPI-2RF) در اضطراب، افسردگی و انگیزش جنسی مبتلایان به اختلالات عملکرد جنسی

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of Hypomanic Activation, Demoralization and Dysfunctional Negative Emotions Based on the Minnesota multiphasic personality inventory-2-restructured form (MMPI-2RF) in anxiety, depression and sexual motivation of people with sexual dysfunction. This descriptive correlational study was performed on all persons with sexual dysfunction who referred to counseling centers and medical clinics in Mashhad for treatment of sexual problems. The sample included 336 individuals. An available sampling method was used to select the sample. Data were collected using the Minnesota multiphasic personality inventory-2-restructured form (MMPI-2RF) and the multidimensional sexual problems questionnaire (subscale of anxiety, depression and sexual motivation). Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis were used to investigate the research hypotheses using SPSS-22 software. Findings showed that there was a significant positive correlation between hypomanic activation, demoralization and dysfunctional negative emotions with anxiety and sexual depression and a negative significant relationship with sexual motivation (p < 0.01). In addition, it was found that hypomanic activation, demoralization and dysfunctional negative emotions explained 22% of the variance in sexual anxiety (R Square= 0.22). It was also found that 23% of the variance in sexual depression is explained by hypomanic activation and demoralization. Hypomanic activation and demoralization also account for 14% of the variance in sexual motivation. The findings of the present study indicate the role of hypomanic activation, demoralization and dysfunctional negative emotions in anxiety, depression and sexual motivation in patients with sexual dysfunction.

Multimedia Psychotherapy: brief report of a pilot study.

Multimedia Psychotherapy is a new form of brief psychotherapy based on narrative medicine and ethnopsychoanalytic theories, developed to help patients affected by prolonged grief disorder (ICD-11). It consists of eight sessions, during which an 'audio-video memory object' is produced by using pictures, video clips, and music chosen by the bereaved patient. The audio-video montage is focused on remembering the deceased relative and help the patient to move on. Considering initial positive results, we ran a first controlled pilot study comparing experimental and control group. We enrolled a sample of bereaved patients who were referred for prolonged grief disorder (ICD-11) by their general practitioners or psychiatrists. Patients were randomly assigned to the experimental group (n=18) or to the control group (n=18). Patients in the experimental group received psycho-pharmacological therapy and multimedia psychotherapy, while patients in the control group received psycho-pharmacological therapy and psycho-oncological support. All patients were assessed with Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) and Prolonged Grief-13 (PG-13) prior to beginning treatment (pre-treatment), and with PG-13 after six months from the end of the treatment (post-treatment). Patients in the experimental group (i.e., Multimedia Psychotherapy treatment) after six months performed better than patients in the control group in Criteria B, D, and E of PG-13 (i.e.: Separation Distress, Cognitive, Emotional, and Behavioral Symptoms, Functional Impairment). We will discuss our results, issues related to the screening of patients (due to possible contraindications of Multimedia Psychotherapy), and methodological limitations. Finally, we will discuss new future applications in other clinical situations. These findings suggest that multimedia psychotherapy may hold promise for the treatment of prolonged grief disorder (ICD-11).

Utility of the MMPI-3 validity scales for detecting overreporting and underreporting and their effects on substantive scale validity: A simulation study.

The current study utilized an experimental design to investigate the utility of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)-3 Validity Scales for detecting overreporting and underreporting and the impact of these response sets on substantive scale scores. College students completed a battery of criterion measures before assignment to a Standard Instructions (SIs) Group (n = 288), an Overreporting Group (n = 250), or an Underreporting Group (n = 215). t tests demonstrated that scores on MMPI-3 overreporting indicators and most substantive scales were higher among the Overreporting Group relative to the SI group with very large effect sizes, and scores on MMPI-3 underreporting indicators were higher and most substantive scales scores were lower among the Underreporting Group relative to the SI group, with moderate to large effects. Classification accuracy estimates documented the effectiveness of MMPI-3 Validity Scales in detecting overreporting and underreporting. Bivariate correlations between MMPI-3 substantive scale scores and criterion measures (which were completed under SIs for all three groups) were substantially attenuated for both simulation groups relative to the SI Group. Bivariate correlations were also attenuated for groups identified as overreporting or underreporting using MMPI-3 Validity Scale scores relative to individuals with valid MMPI-3 protocols, highlighting the need for and importance of appraising threats to protocol validity when assessing personality and psychopathology by self-report. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Penile Implant Surgery Satisfaction Assessment

Several studies reported high satisfaction rates (> 90%) for patients and their partners after penile prosthesis (PP) implantation. To describe and critically discuss the current evidence regarding the assessment of patient and partner satisfaction after penile implant surgery. A critical narrative review of the studies investigating the patient and partner satisfaction after PP implantation was designed. Papers in English-language published until January 2021 were included. The main outcome investigated was patient and partner satisfaction after penile implant surgery. The International Index of Erectile Function , the Erectile Dysfunction Inventory of Treatment Satisfaction , the Treatment Satisfaction Scale , and the Quality of Life and Sexuality with Penile Prosthesis are the best-known validated tools used to assess satisfaction after PP implantation. Except for Quality of Life and Sexuality with Penile Prosthesis , they were not validated in patients undergoing penile implant surgery. The lack of an "ad hoc" tool has led to the widespread of nonvalidated questionnaires. Several tools can be useful in the preimplantation counseling, such as the mnemonic Compulsive/obsessive, Unrealistic, Revision, Surgeon Shopping, Entitled, Denial, and Psychiatric , the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, the Brief Sexual Symptom Checklist for Men , the Attitude towards Penile Implant , and the Attitude Attributed to the Partner towards Penile Implant . Improvement of knowledge regarding the available tools to evaluate the satisfaction after penile implant surgery. Comprehensive and thorough review of all the main validated questionnaires available to assess satisfaction in patients with PP. Lack of a systematic approach and quantitative data analysis. Despite the high satisfaction rate reported in the literature, most of the studies used suboptimal or non-validated questionnaires to assess patients undergoing penile implant surgery. Future research is needed to develop and validate a specific, complete and easy-to-use questionnaire. Manfredi C, Fortier É, Faix A, etal. Penile Implant Surgery Satisfaction Assessment. J Sex Med 2021;18:868-874.

Psychosocial adaptation to chronic heart failure in patients with coronary heart disease

Aim. To assess the effects of acquired social status, neurotic conditions, type D personality, cognitive functions, quality of life and adherence to treatment on psychosocial adaptation of patients with coronary heart disease (IHD) to chronic heart failure (CHF), depending on the severity of decompensation.&#x0D; Methods. 87 patients with coronary artery disease and chronic heart failure aged between 55 and 72 years were examined. All patients were divided into two groups depending on the functional class of chronic heart failure [New York Heart Association (NYHA) class IIV]. The first group included 41 patients with NYHA functional class III, the second group 46 patients with NYHA functional class IIIIV. For a comprehensive study of the psychosocial adaptation of patients, a set of standardized questionnaires was used: the abridged variant of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (SMOL), a clinical questionnaire for identifying and assessing neurotic condition, the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ), the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey Questionnaire (SF-36), the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), 14-question test Type D Scale-14 (DS14), MoriskyGreen test, the short version of the AUDIT questionnaire (AUDIT-C). We collected data on the patient's social status: gender, education, income level. The results obtained were analyzed.&#x0D; Results. Based on the SMOL personality profiles, patients of the second group were classified as neurotic an increase was noted in three neurotic scales: hypochondria (U=541; p=0.030), hysteria (U=579; p=0.048), and autism/schizoid (U=577.5; p=0.047) compared with patients of the first group. According to the results of the clinical questionnaire for the identification and assessment of neurotic condition, the greatest differences were found between patients of first and second groups on the scale of autonomic disorders (U=571; p=0.039) and neurotic depression (U=576; p=0.046). Comparing the groups according to the MLHFQ score, quality of life in patients of the second group was markedly reduced (U=447.5; p 0.001). According to the SF-36 questionnaire, a decrease in the quality of life was also found in patients of the second group on the scale Physical functioning (U=554; p=0.032) and Physical component of health (U=573.5; p=0.044). The cognitive status in patients of the second group was significantly decreased compared with the first group (U=427; p 0.001). No significant differences were found in adherence to treatment between the two groups (U=757; p=0.666). Also, there were no patients with type D personality on both subscales (U=717.5; p=0.483, U=784; p=0.933) and according to the AUDIT-C scores, there are no significant differences between men (U=681.5; p=0.257) and women (U=728.5; p=0.425) in both groups of patients.&#x0D; Conclusion. Signs of social maladjustment in patients with more severe NYHA functional class of the disease are expressed by significantly more pronounced social isolation (autism), a tendency to avoid communicating with others, isolation on their own problems and hypochondriacal attention to the somatic manifestations of chronic heart failure; probably, the main reason that reduces the level of social adaptation is a high score in neuroticism, which leads to a functional decrease in cognitive abilities and a significant deterioration in quality of life.

Assessing Physical Pain Perception and Psychological Distress Tolerance through the MMPI-2-RF: A Comparison of Multimethod Measures

While transdiagnostic factors are important domains in clinical assessment and treatment, there is little research to link such constructs to widely accepted and utilized broadband assessments such as the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, 2nd edition – Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF). A handful of studies suggest the ability of the MMPI-2-RF scales to capture variance in transdiagnostic constructs; however, this literature relies solely on self-report criterion measures, despite evidence that self-report and behaviorally-indexed correlates of psychopathology may measure varied aspects of the intended construct and can often yield differing results. The current study investigated MMPI-2-RF scales’ ability to assess two widely examined transdiagnostic constructs, distress tolerance and pain perception, across both self-report and behavioral indicators. The sample included 115 undergraduate students who completed a valid MMPI-2-RF and multimethod measures of pain perception and distress tolerance. The results aligned with prior research in areas of internalizing symptoms, psychopathy, and suicide risk factors in self-report, but not behaviorally-based, assessment. Implications of this inconsistency, the association between clinical assessment and transdiagnostic constructs, and the heterogeneity of the distress tolerance and pain perception constructs are discussed.

Looking at Self-Disorders through the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI): An empirical exploration of the MMPI-derived Self-Disorder Scale

IntroductionTrait-like anomalies of subjective experience have been empirically identified as schizophrenia-specific markers of vulnerability in several clinical and genetic high-risk populations. Recently, Parnas and colleagues have identified and preliminarily explored a composite score (i.e. Self-Disorder Scale, SDO) within the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) that approximates such construct). SDO differs from the MMPI psychoticism scale, and includes presents items very similar to Self Disorder investigated by EASE (Examination of Anomalous Self-experience).ObjectivesThis study is a confirmatory analysis of the correspondence of Self-Disorder Scale (SDO) of the MMPI with some items of EASE, in a population of adolescents. These items are present in psychotic and in at risk mental state subjects.MethodsWe administered MMPI and EASE to 34 help seeker adolescent patients and correlate all dimensions of MMPI with EASE total score and its domains.ResultsMMPI SDO scores significantly correlated with schizophrenia-spectrum diagnosis and high-risk mental states.ConclusionsSDO is an MMPI analogous of Self Disorders and can be used as a useful screener to detect patients at potential risk for schizophrenia spectrum disorders, that could be further explored with the EASE.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

Examining the criterion and incremental validity of the MMPI-3 Self-Importance scale.

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-3 (MMPI-3) is the most recent installment in the MMPI family of instruments. It contains a new scale, Self-Importance (SFI), which was designed to assess grandiosity. Although initial data in the MMPI-3 Technical Manual have been supportive of its construct validity, no published research studies have evaluated this scale to date. The current study examined the internal structure, criterion validity, and incremental validity of the SFI scale in a large sample (n = 645) of university students. The 10 SFI items loaded on one latent factor in a well-fitting model, and item response theory parameters indicated good information coverage across a broad range of the underlying construct. SFI scale scores correlated with several measures of narcissistic personality disorder and grandiose narcissism, but were weakly associated with vulnerable narcissism scales. The SFI scale scores also accounted for incremental variance in a range of criterion measures above and beyond scores of other MMPI-3 Specific Problems scales and the MMPI-3 Personality Psychopathology Five scales. The current finding supported the SFI scale as a distinct and complementary measure of grandiosity for the MMPI-3. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Operationalizing the triarchic model of psychopathy in adolescents using the MMPI-A-RF (Restructured Form).

The triarchic model is an increasingly influential multidimensional model of psychopathy that focuses on three distinct phenotypic domains of boldness, meanness, and disinhibition. Although originally operationalized through the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure (TriPM), the triarchic model has also been operationalized through items of existing psychopathy and personality measures that provide sufficient content coverage of the triarchic dimensions. The current study aimed to provide a means for enhancing understanding of psychopathic features in adolescents through the development and validation of triarchic scales using items from the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Adolescent-Restructured Form (MMPI-A-RF). The MMPI-A-RF normative sample and a large sample of juveniles undergoing court-ordered evaluations were used for formal scale development and the juvenile-court sample was also used for validation analyses. The MMPI-A-RF triarchic scales demonstrated adequate internal consistency in both the normative and juvenile offender samples, and were largely related to criterion variables, including measures of personality, psychopathology, interpersonal functioning, and adolescent concerns as predicted based on the triarchic model. Canonical correlation analyses revealed unexpected and novel findings of (variable-centered) patterns of associations between our predictor triarchic scales and criterion variables that resemble "primary" and "secondary" psychopathy variants or subtypes. Overall, findings suggest that the triarchic model as indexed by the MMPI-A-RF scales can be useful for understanding how psychopathy may manifest in youth and for identifying youth at risk for severe and persistent antisocial behavior. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Criterion and Incremental Validity of the MMPI-3 Eating Concerns Scale in a University Sample.

The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the validity of scores on the Eating Concerns (EAT) scale on the recently released Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-3 (MMPI-3), which aims to assess for problematic eating behaviours. It was hypothesised that the EAT scale scores would be correlated with binge eating, purging, restrictive eating, weight and body shape concerns. Participants were 396 university students, who completed a series of well-validated eating disorder measures. The EAT scale scores evidenced moderate to large correlations with many symptom dimensions of EDs, including binge eating, purging, restrictive eating and weight and shape concern, thus, supporting the hypotheses and showing evidence for criterion validity. Hierarchical regression analyses also revealed incremental validity for the EAT scale above and beyond other MMPI-3 Specific Problems scale scores. Overall, scores on the new MMPI-3 EAT scale were associated with positive support for validity in a university population and seem promising as a good screening measure for eating pathology.

MMPI-3 Predictors of Anxiety Sensitivity and Distress Intolerance.

Documenting empirical correlates of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-3 (MMPI-3) scale scores is important for expanding the clinical utility of the instrument. To this end, the goals of the current study were to examine associations between scores on MMPI-3 scales and measures of anxiety sensitivity and distress intolerance, two constructs reflecting intolerance of negative emotional states that are implicated in many psychological conditions, and to identify the scales that most strongly predict each construct. Using a sample of 287 undergraduate students (71% women; Mage = 18.90, SD = 1.12; 85% White), zero-order correlational, regression, and dominance analyses were performed to address these goals. Results indicate that when MMPI-3 scale scores are considered conjointly by scale family, they predict meaningful variance in anxiety sensitivity and distress intolerance measure scores, with conceptually implicated scales offering the strongest prediction across scale families. Implications for both research and practice, limitations, and future research directions are discussed.

Comparing Traumatic Brain Injury Symptoms Reported via Questionnaires Versus a Novel Structured Interview.

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) symptoms are typically assessed via questionnaires in research, yet questionnaires may be more prone to biases than direct clinical interviews. We compared mTBI symptoms reported on two widely used self-report inventories and the novel Structured Interview of TBI Symptoms (SITS). Second, we explored the association between acquiescence response bias and symptom reporting across modes of assessment. Level 1 trauma center patients with mTBI (N = 73) were recruited within 2 weeks of injury, assessed at 3 months post-TBI, and produced nonacquiescent profiles. Assessments collected included the SITS (comprising open-ended and closed-ended questions), Rivermead Post Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire (RPQ), Sport Concussion Assessment Tool-3 (SCAT-3) symptom checklist, and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Restructured Form True Response Inconsistency (TRIN-r) scale. Current mTBI symptom burden and individual symptom endorsement were highly concordant between SITS closed-ended questions, the RPQ, and the SCAT-3. Within the SITS, participants reported significantly fewer mTBI symptoms to open-ended as compared to later closed-ended questions, and this difference was weakly correlated with TRIN-r. Symptom scales were weakly associated with TRIN-r. mTBI symptom reporting varies primarily by whether questioning is open- vs. closed-ended but not by mode of assessment (interview, questionnaire). Acquiescence response bias appears to play a measurable but small role in mTBI symptom reporting overall and the degree to which participants report more symptoms to closed- than open-ended questioning. These findings have important implications for mTBI research and support the validity of widely used TBI symptom inventories.

Pre-deployment personality traits predict prescription opioid receipt over 2-year post-deployment period in a longitudinal cohort of deployed National Guard soldiers

BackgroundWhile military service members are at risk forpain conditions, receipt of prescribed opioids is associated with a range of serious adverse outcomes. The goal of this study is to examine the association between pre-deployment personality traits and receipt of prescription opioids after return from deployment. MethodData were drawn from the Readiness and Resilience in National Guard Soldiers (RINGS) cohort study, an ongoing study of post-deployment health. Participants (N = 522) completed baseline assessments one month prior to deploying to Iraq (2006–2007). At baseline, we assessed personality traits using abbreviated versions of the Personality Psychopathology Five scales from the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2. Follow-up assessments were conducted three months, one year, and two years post-deployment. The primary outcome was total amount of prescribed opioids dispensed from Department of Veterans Affairs outpatient pharmacies in the two-year period following soldiers’ return from deployment. Unadjusted and adjusted negative binomial regression models examined the relationships of pre-deployment personality traits, demographics (age, gender, and rank), baseline trauma symptoms, deployment related risk factors (difficult living/working environment, deployment injury, combat exposure), and post-deployment trauma symptoms with post-deployment opioid prescribing. ResultsDisconstraint, negative emotionality, and introversion/low positive emotionality were associated with receipt of more prescribed opioids over the two years after return from deployment. Personality traits measured at baseline remained statistically significantly after adjusting for all eight baseline and deployment risk factors of interest. ConclusionsUnderstanding how pre-deployment personality traits contribute to post-deployment prescription opioid use could inform efforts to improve veterans’ health.

The Impact of Two MMPI-2-Based Models of Personality in Predicting Driving Behavior. Can Demographic Variables Be Disregarded?

The driver’s personality is a key human factor for the assessment of the fitness to drive (FTD), affecting driving decisions and behavior, with consequences on driving safety. No previous study has investigated the effectiveness of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)-2 scales for predicting the FTD. The present study aimed to compare two MMPI-2-based models of normal and pathological personality traits (i.e., Inventory of Driving-related Personality Traits (IVPE)-MMPI vs. Personality Psychopathology Five (PSY-5) scale) in predicting the cognitive FTD. One hundred young and eighty-seven adult active drivers completed the MMPI-2 questionnaire as a measure of personality and a computerized driving task measuring for resilience of attention (Determination Test (DT)), reaction speed (Reaction Test (RS)), motor speed (MS), and perceptual speed (Adaptive Tachistoscopic Traffic Perception Test (ATAVT)). The effects of age, gender, and education were also controlled. Results showed that the models controlled for demographics overperformed those neglecting them for each driving outcome. A negative effect of age was found on each driving task; the effect of gender, favoring males, was found in both the RS and the MS, and the effect of education was found on the DT and the ATAVT. Concerning personality traits, significant effects were found of sensation seeking (IVPE-MMPI) on each outcome; of anxiety (as a measure of emotional instability; IVPE-MMPI) and introversion (PSY-5) on the measures of MS; and of psychopathic deviation (as a measure of self-control; IVPEMMPI) on the DT. The study confirmed the key role of demographic factors in influencing the FTD, further suggesting the usefulness of some MMPI2-based personality scales in the assessment of driving-related personality determinants.