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The potential for faking on the Mississippi Scale for Combat-Related PTSD

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Journal of Traumatic Stress

Abstract

The Mississippi Scale for Combat-Related PTSD is widely used in the assessment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The high face-validity of the scale may make it vulnerable to faking, however. The present study found that the scores of individuals instructed to respond “as if” they had PTSD did not differ from the scores of veterans with PTSD. Furthermore, although veterans who were diagnosed as having PTSD were found to have significantly higher Mississippi Scale scores than those who did not meet diagnostic criteria for PTSD, the mean score for all groups (veteran and non-veteran) exceeded the originally recommended diagnostic cut-off score of 107. A cutoff score of 121 was found to best differentiate veterans with PTSD from veterans who did not meet diagnostic criteria for the diagnosis, with high sensitivity but relatively low specificity.

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References

  • Keane, T. M., Caddell, J. M., and Taylor, K. L. (1988). Mississippi Scale for Combat-related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Three studies in reliability and validity.J. Consult. Clin. Psychol. 56: 85–90.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 1500 E. Woodrow Wilson Dr., 39216, Jackson, Mississippi

    Judith A. Lyons, Rufus Rawls & Sean Perrin

  2. University of Mississippi Medical Center, 39216, Jackson, Mississippi

    Judith A. Lyons & Sean Perrin

  3. Research Triangle Institute, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina

    Juesta M. Caddell

  4. Parent-Child Center, Jackson, Mississippi

    Rebecca L. Pittman

Authors
  1. Judith A. Lyons
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  2. Juesta M. Caddell
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  3. Rebecca L. Pittman
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  4. Rufus Rawls
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  5. Sean Perrin
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Additional information

Portions of this paper were previously presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, New Orleans, August 1989 and the annual meeting of the Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, San Francisco, October 1989.

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Lyons, J.A., Caddell, J.M., Pittman, R.L. et al. The potential for faking on the Mississippi Scale for Combat-Related PTSD. J Trauma Stress 7, 441–445 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02102788

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02102788

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