The use of contemporary MMPI norms in the study of chronic pain patients

Ahles, Tim A.; Yunus, Muhammad B.; Gaulier, Bernard; Riley, Sue D.; Masi, Alfonse T.

doi:10.1016/0304-3959(86)90038-2

Cited by 26 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…The results of the present study suggest that the chronic pain patients evaluated are not that much different on the MBHI coping styles and psychogenic attitude scales than a non-medical population. This finding is consistent with recent studies that compared personality and psychological characteristics of pain patients to non-medical populations, as well as the few studies reported on the MBHI (Ahles et al, 1986;Bradley et aI., 1981;Elkins & Barret, 1984). However, the differences that were found are consistent with what is known about chronic pain patients, i.e., they are more likely to be depressed and anxious (Elkins & Barret, 1984;Fishbain et al, 1986).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

“…When psychological aspects of medical patients are being considered in clinical and research activities, the MMPI is one of the primary psychological assessment procedures that often is included. Research that used the MMPI to compare patients with "organic" vs. "functional/psychogenic" pain (primarily low back pain) has produced inconsistent results and has been plagued with methodological problems (Ahles, Yunus, Gaulier, Riley, & Masi, 1986;Bradley, Prokop, Gentry, Van Der Heidi, & Prieto, 1981;Carlsson, 1986;Elkins & Barrett, 1984).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Millon Behavioral Health Inventory norms for chronic pain patients

et al. 1989

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The Millon Behavioral Health Inventory (MBHI) is being used more widely in pain treatment settings; however, normative data on a large sample of chronic pain patients have not been published. In the present study, norms were established for 247 chronic pain patients. The chronic pain patient norms then were compared statistically to norms for non-medical population. Overall, the results showed that the score distributions for chronic pain patients and normals were similar on most MBHI scales. The differences that were found are consistent with other research on pain patients and indicate that chronic pain patients are more likely to be depressed and anxious. Differences in scales between chronic pain patients and controls may be explained by state vs. trait factors. In evaluating chronic pain patients by personality tests, one needs to keep in mind state-trait problems and their potential influence on test results.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

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confidence: 99%

Millon Behavioral Health Inventory norms for chronic pain patients

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“…Groups were statistically recalculated to separate a normal (healthy) group, a chronic pain group and a psychologically disturbed group [13, 29, 35]. These studies reported that less than one-third of fibromyalgia patients could be categorized into the psychologically disturbed group with 41% normal and 47% having the chronic pain profile.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Personality and Fibromyalgia Syndrome

Malin

Littlejohn

2012

TORJ

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Objectives: We aimed to review how personality characteristics contribute to the onset, maintenance or modulation of fibromyalgia. Method: The databases Medline and PsychINFO were examined from 1967 to 2012 to identify studies that investigated associations between fibromyalgia and personality. Search terms included fibromyalgia and personality, trait psychology, characteristics and individual differences.Results: Numerous studies indicate that patients with fibromyalgia experience psychological distress. Various instruments have been used to evaluate distress and related psychological domains, such as anxiety or depression, in fibromyalgia. In many cases, these same instruments have been used to study personality characteristics in fibromyalgia with a subsequent blurring of cause and effect between personality and psychological distress. In addition, the symptoms of fibromyalgia may change pre-illness personality characteristics themselves. These issues make it difficult to identify specific personality characteristics that might influence the fibromyalgia process. Despite this inherent problem with the methodologies used in the studies that make up this literature review, or perhaps because of it, we found no defined personality profile specific to fibromyalgia. However, many patients with fibromyalgia do show personality characteristics that facilitate psychological responses to stressful situations, such as catastrophising or poor coping techniques, and these in turn associate with mechanisms contributing to fibromyalgia.Conclusion: No specific fibromyalgia personality is defined but it is proposed that personality is an important filter that modulates a person’s response to psychological stressors. Certain personalities may facilitate translation of these stressors to physiological responses driving the fibromyalgia mechanism.

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“…In a study by Ahles et al (24), FM patients obtained more elevated scores on 8 MMPI scales, as compared with a matched control group. Thirty-one percent were "psychologically disturbed", whereas 33% showed a typical "pain profile" and 36% obtained "normal" profiles.…”

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confidence: 92%

“…Fibromyalgia is a controversial diagnosis; arguments have been put forward that FM should not be recognized as an organic syndrome (23). Other authors have considered the existence of "psychological disturbance" in FM (24,25). Psychological factors are proposedly important in the development of FM and the possible contribution of both somatisation mechanisms and depression has been raised.…”

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confidence: 99%

Personality Factors in Recurring and Chronic Pain

Ellertsen

1992

Cephalalgia

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Recurring and chronic pain may be described in terms of psychobiological processes in which affective, cognitive, motivational and somatic components are entangled. Because of this complex inter-play, the distinction between organic versus functional origin has become of secondary interest in most studies of pain patients, the focus being on processes involved in the development of pain syndromes. By employing psychological research methods these studies have yielded important contributions to an understanding of the psychobiological basis of the condition.The question of characteristic personality traits in patients with different types of recurring or chronic pain has been addressed frequently during the past two decades (1-9). For example, a review of the literature on personality and headache shows a recurring theme of cause and effect. But although most studies report an increased prevalence of emotional or psychological disturbance, the question of predisposing personality factors remains unanswered. Obviously, prospective studies are needed in order to shed light on this important question, but there are few truly longitudinal studies of acceptable duration available in the literature. Therefore, a discussion of the role of psychological factors in chronic pain syndromes, including chronic headache, must be based on extrapolations from cross-sectional studies.

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The use of contemporary MMPI norms in the study of chronic pain patients

Cited by 26 publications

References 7 publications

Millon Behavioral Health Inventory norms for chronic pain patients

Millon Behavioral Health Inventory norms for chronic pain patients

Personality and Fibromyalgia Syndrome

Personality Factors in Recurring and Chronic Pain

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