Parental MMPIs and certain pathological behaviors in children

Abstract

Investigators have used the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (Mh'IPI) t o study ways in which parent personality influences are related to the development of behavioral disturbances in their children. Research of this type has been conducted by investigating the personality patterns of parents as they relate t o psychiatric diagnoses of their children (lo, 11) and by examining the relationship between personality characteristics of adults and the child-rearing practices of their parents@). A recent review(5) of the relationship between AIMPI scales of parents and psychopathology in their children shows the literature to be contradictory and inconclusive.Much theoretical and research interest concerns certain behaviors in children which, because they deviated substantially from behaviors normally observed, may be used to predict or indicate significant disturbance in the child. Accordingly, Kraft(6) listed six behaviors that are more likely than other behaviors to be suggestive of severe disturbance. The six behaviors were (a) excessive or prolonged rocking; (b) excessive or prolonged headbanging ; (c) rigidity or holding oneself stiff; (d) pica (ingestion of nonnutritional substances such as paint, cloth, soap, etc.); (e) excessive pulling a t blanket fuzz or at one's own hair; and (f) breath-holding until blue in the face. The first three behaviors show linkages with the syndrome of early infantile autism (7).Pica has been associated with emotional deprivation and/or severe mental retardation. I n addition, persistence of the habit in children over 4 who are of normal intelligence usually constitutes a symptom of serious emotional disturbance. The behaviors of pulling blanket fuzz or pulling a t one's own hair (trichotillomania) have been considered under the classification of pica if the material is ingested(', g ) . If the behaviors are excessive or persist beyond the age of 3 or 4, they tend to appear in children who are viewed as autistic, schizophrenic ( 4 ) , grossly neglected or severely retarded.The last behavior, that of excessive breath-holding, occurs in conjunction with anger and/or anxiety on the part of the child. Behaviorally, violent crying precipitates temporary cessation of respiration ( 9 ) .The present study attempted to find consistent relationships between the personalities of parents as measured by the RIMPI and the six above-mentioned behaviors of their children by canonical correlational analysis(a). As the six behaviors have been widely linked to certain pathological disorders of childhood, a demonstration of common factors that underlie parental personality and t h e behaviors may shed light on a possible etiological connection of the major dlsorders associated with the behaviors. METHODSubjects. The Ss were 205 families that consisted of a father, mother, and one child (not necessarily the only child in the family) who were in the process of obtaining psychiatric consultation services for problems related t o the psychological adjustment of the child. However, less than 5%...

The use of MMPI-2 in the evaluation of parental capacity/suitability in judicial assessments

“…Regarding the children of mentally ill parents, they have been found to be at risk of developing social, emotional, and behavioral disorders [15,16]. Indicatively, many studies indicate that the De scale detects depression [17,18].…”