Comparing MMPI-2-Restructured Form Scores by Service Era for Veterans Assessed Within the Veteran Affairs Healthcare System

Abstract

This study compares profiles of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) scale scores from 1492 VA test-takers who served during the Vietnam or Gulf War service eras. The sample includes all such cases collected at any VA posttraumatic stress disorder Clinical Teams across the United States between January 1, 2008 and May 31, 2015 using the MMPI-2 or MMPI-2-RF (via the VA Mental Health Assistant suite). Associations between gender and score differences were also examined. In contrast to past research using the MMPI-2, results of this study suggest that veterans are generally homogeneous in their MMPI-2-RF profiles across different periods of service. Specifically, the magnitudes of mean differences are small and not clinically significant. Thus, responses on the MMPI-2-RF do not appear influenced by service era. Implications for the clinical use of, and research with, the MMPI-2-RF are discussed within the VA healthcare system.

Assessing posttraumatic stress disorder symptom clusters with the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory‐3 in a forensic disability sample

“…These elevations suggest significant psychopathology among the current sample and were generally higher than those reported in prior MMPI‐3 studies (i.e., Kremyar & Wygant, 2023). However, mean scale scores were also lower than those in MMPI‐2‐RF studies with trauma‐exposed samples (e.g., Ingram et al, 2020; McManus et al, 2018). This difference may suggest more limited posttraumatic stress symptoms in the current sample as compared to previous studies but it most likely reflects the renorming of the instrument moving from the MMPI‐2‐RF (which uses the MMPI‐2 normative sample) to the MMPI‐3.…”

“…Thus, future studies should examine whether the current results are consistent across samples with varied types of trauma exposure (e.g., sexual violence, combat exposure) or whether type of trauma exposure moderates associations between MMPI‐3 scale scores and traumatic stress symptoms. Moreover, the number of participants in the current sample reporting severe posttraumatic stress symptoms may have been limited, as evidenced by the small portion of participants with PTSD diagnoses (11.9% of the sample) and MMPI‐3 scale scores that were comparable to but lower than those in prior MMPI‐2‐RF studies with trauma‐exposed samples (e.g., Ingram et al, 2020; McManus et al, 2018). Consequently, the current methodology may also be replicated in samples with greater levels of trauma‐related psychopathology (i.e., individuals receiving PTSD‐specific treatment).…”

“…Moreover, the number of participants in the current sample reporting severe posttraumatic stress symptoms may have been limited, as evidenced by the small portion of participants with PTSD diagnoses (11.9% of the sample) and MMPI-3 scale scores that were comparable to but lower than those in prior MMPI-2-RF studies with traumaexposed samples (e.g., Ingram et al, 2020;McManus et al, 2018). Consequently, the current methodology may also be replicated in samples with greater levels of trauma-related psychopathology (i.e., individuals receiving PTSD-specific treatment).…”

“…Previous empirical studies of the MMPI‐2‐RF support the utility of the instrument in measuring PTSD symptomology. Descriptive analyses of MMPI‐2‐RF scale scores among both veteran and student samples with trauma exposure or PTSD diagnoses consistently demonstrate clinically elevated scores (i.e., T ≥ 65) on scales across psychological domains, including internalizing (emotional/internalizing dysfunction [EID], demoralization [RCd], low positive emotions [RC2], dysfunctional negative emotions [RC7], suicidal/death ideation [SUI], anxiety [AXY], introversion/low positive emotionality‐revised [INTR‐r]), somatic (somatic complaints [RC1], malaise [MLS], gastrointestinal complaints [GIC], neurological complaints [NUC], cognitive complaints [COG]), and interpersonal scales (social avoidance [SAV], disaffiliativeness [DSF]; Ingram et al, 2020; Mason et al, 2013; McDevitt‐Murphy et al, 2007; McManus et al, 2018; Meyers et al, 2013). Some authors (i.e., Meyers et al, 2013) have also observed elevations among trauma‐exposed veterans on scales in externalizing (aggression [AGG], family problems [FML]) and thought dysfunction domains (thought dysfunction [THD], persecutory ideation [RC6], aberrant experiences [RC8], psychoticism‐revised [PSYC‐r]).…”

“…These measures are supplemented by Personality Psychopathology-5 (PSY-5) scales, indexing five domains of personality disorder-related psychopathology. gastrointestinal complaints [GIC], neurological complaints [NUC], cognitive complaints [COG]), and interpersonal scales (social avoidance [SAV], disaffiliativeness [DSF]; Ingram et al, 2020;Mason et al, 2013;McDevitt-Murphy et al, 2007;McManus et al, 2018;Meyers et al, 2013). Some authors (i.e., Meyers et al, 2013) have also observed elevations among trauma-exposed veterans on scales in externalizing (aggression [AGG], family problems [FML]) and thought dysfunction domains (thought dysfunction [THD], persecutory ideation [RC6], aberrant experiences [RC8], psychoticism-revised [PSYC-r]).…”