Age differences among psychiatric inpatients on the MCMI

Abstract

A 2 × 2 × 3 MANOVA was applied to MCMI BR scores obtained from 310 newly admitted psychiatric inpatients. The study's purpose was to test the effect of patients' age (age < 36 vs. age > = 36), race (White/Black), and diagnosis (paranoid schizophrenic/nonparanoid schizophrenic/nonpsychotic, nonaffectively disturbed) across MCMI personality and clinical syndrome scales. On the MCMI personality syndrome scales, age, race, and diagnosis were significant. Racial differences were consistent with recently reported research (Davis, Greenblatt, & Pochyly, 1990), but the significant differences in diagnosis were opposite the direction that might be predicted from the MCMI manual. Older patients tended to produce lower symptom scale scores than younger patients, with the most meaningful difference found on the Drug Abuse scale.

Personality Characterizations of Outpatients With Schizophrenia, Schizophrenia With Substance Abuse, and Primary Substance Abuse

“…This pattern of results is consistent with that produced for hard drug abusers by other cross-sectional studies (Calsyn et al, 2000;McCormick et al, 1998) and with what has been shown by family studies to be the prototypical, possibly genetically mediated, personality phenotype associated with primary substance abuse (Krueger et al, 2002). Also consistent with results of previous studies was the finding that older drug abusers were substantially more mellow than younger ones (Davis and Greenblatt, 1990;Zimmerman and Coryell, 1990).…”

Personality patterns among Black, White, and Hispanic combat veterans.

“…Some researchers suggest differences that emerge may be because of education and socioeconomic status (Greene, 1987; Gynther, 1972). Although some studies have adjusted for age (Davis & Greenblatt, 1990; Davis et al, 1990; Munley, Morris, Murray, & Baines, 2001), no studies to date have adjusted for other potential confounding variables such as education and socioeconomic status. To date, no compelling explanation of these group differences has emerged.…”

“…A handful of studies have examined the relationship between race and personality pathology. A few studies have found that Black participants scored significantly higher than White participants in cluster A and B PDs (Davis & Greenblatt, 1990; Davis, Greenblatt, & Pochyly, 1990; Hamberger & Hastings, 1992; Munley, Vacha-Haase, Busby, & Paul, 1998). One study found that Black patients scored higher than White patients in cluster A PDs (Choca, Stanley, Peterson, & Van Denburg, 1990).…”

Relationship between the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-II and coolidge axis II inventory in chronically mentally ill older adults: A pilot study

“…Hyer and Harrison (1986) concluded that the "higher energy" personality types appear to temper with age. Davis and Greenblatt (1990) investigated age differences on the MCMI in a sample of 310 psychiatric inpatients. However, they defined "old" as anyone over 36 years of age and failed to break down the results for specific age groups, thus severely limiting applicability of their results to those over age 55.…”