Skip to main content
Log in

MMPI-2 Data for Australian Vietnam Veterans with Combat-Related PTSD

  • Published:
Journal of Traumatic Stress

Abstract

Considerable attention has been devoted to the MM PI in the assessment of combat-related PTSD. To date, published data have focused almost exclusively on American Vietnam veterans. This study investigated MMPI-2 profiles of 100 Australian Vietnam veterans admitted to an intensive PTSD treatment program. Comparisons with United States (U.S.) data suggested strong similarities between the American and Australian populations in terms of F-scale elevations and typical 3-point code types (8-7-2). However, the American samples showed relatively higher elevations of Scales 4 and 6, suggesting social alienation and a tendency to externalize, while a subgroup of Australian veterans showed a greater propensity for somatization (Scale 1). The results provide overall support for the generalizability of American MMPI data to an alternative cultural group of combat veterans.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Albrecht, N. N., Talbert, F. S., Albrecht, J. W., Boudewyns, P. A., Hyer, L. A., Touze, J., & Lemmon, C. R. (1994). A comparison of MMPI and MMPI-2 in PTSD assessment. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 50, 578–85.

    Google Scholar 

  • American Psychiatric Association (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.). Washington DC: Author.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arbisi, P. A., & Ben-Porath, Y. S. (1995). An MMPI-2 infrequent response scale for use with psychopathological populations: The infrequency—psychopathology scale, F (p). Psychological Assessment, 7, 424–431.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blake, D. D., Weathers, F., Nagy, L. M., Kaloupek, D. G., Klauminzer, G., Charney, D. S., & Keane, T. M. (1995). The development of a clinician administered PTSD scale. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 8, 75–90.

    Google Scholar 

  • Butcher, J., Dahlstrom, W., Graham, J., Tellegen, A., & Kaemmer, B. (1989). MMPI-2 manual for administration and scoring. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota.

    Google Scholar 

  • Butcher, J., & Williams, C. L. (1992). Essentials of MMPI-2 and MMPI-A interpretation. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota.

    Google Scholar 

  • Creamer, M., Jackson, A., & Ball, R. (1996). A profile of help-seeking Australian veterans. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 9, 569–575.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fairbank, J., Keane, T., & Malloy, P. (1983). Some preliminary data on the psychological characteristics of Vietnam veterans with posttraumatic stress disorders. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 51, 912–919.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fontana, A., & Rosenheck, R. (1997). Effectiveness and cost of the inpatient treatment of PTSD: Comparison of three models of treatment. American Journal of Psychiatry, 154, 758–765.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keane, T. M., Malloy, P. F., & Fairbank, J. A. (1984). Empirical development of an MMPI subscale for the assessment of combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 52, 888–891.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keane, T. M., Fairbank, J. A., Caddell, J. M., Zimering, R. T., Taylor, K. L., & Mora, C. A. (1989). Clinical evaluation of a measure to assess combat exposure. Psychological Assessment, I, 53–55.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kenderdine, S. K., Phillips, E. J., & Scurfield, R. M. (1992). Comparison of the MMPI-PTSD subscale with PTSD and substance abuse patient populations. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 48, 136–139.

    Google Scholar 

  • Litz, B., Penk, W., Walsh, S., Hyer, L., Blake, D., Marx, B., Keane, T., & Bitman, D. (1991). Similarities and differences between MMPI and MMPI-2 applications to the assessment of posttraumatic stress disorder. Journal of Personality Assessment, 57, 238–253.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lyons, J. A., & Keane, T. M. (1992). Keane PTSD scale: MMPI and MMPI-2 update. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 5, 111–117.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCormack, J. K., Patterson, T. W., Ohlde, C. D., Garfield, N. J., & Schauer, A. H. (1990). MMPI configural interpretation as applied to posttraumatic stress disorder in Vietnam veterans. Journal of Personality Assessment, 54, 628–638.

    Google Scholar 

  • Munley, P. H., Bains, D. S., & Bloem, W. D. (1993). F Scale elevation and PTSD MMPI profiles. Psychological Reports, 73, 363–370.

    Google Scholar 

  • Munley, P. H., Bains, D. S., Bloem, W. D., & Busby, R. M. (1995). Post-traumatic stress disorder and the MMPI-2. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 8, 171–178.

    Google Scholar 

  • O'Toole, B. I., Marshall, R. P., Grayson, D. A., Schureck, R. J., Dobson, M., French, M., Pulvertaft, B., Meldrum, L., Bolton, J., & Vennard, J. (1996). The Australian Vietnam veterans health study: III. Psychological health of Australian Vietnam veterans and its relationship to combat. International Journal of Epidemiology, 25, 331–339.

    Google Scholar 

  • Perconte, S., & Goreczny, A. (1990). Failure to detect fabricated posttraumatic stress disorder with the use of the MMPI in a clinical population. American Journal of Psychiatry, 147, 1057–1060.

    Google Scholar 

  • Watson, C. G., Juba, M., Anderson, P. E. D., & Manifold, V. (1990). What does the Keane et al. PTSD scale for the MMPI measure? Journal of Clinical Psychology, 46, 600–612.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weathers, F. W., Litz, B. T., Herman, D. S., Huska, J. A., & Keane, T. M. (1993). The PTSD Checklist (PCL): Reliability, validity, and diagnostic utility. Paper presented at the 9th Annual Conference of the ISTSS, San Antonio.

  • Wilson, J., & Walker, A. (1990). Toward an MMPI trauma profile. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 3, 151–168.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wise, E. A. (1996). Diagnosing posttraumatic stress disorder with the MMPI clinical scales A review of the literature. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 18, 71–82.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

About this article

Cite this article

Forbes, D., Creamer, M. & McHugh, T. MMPI-2 Data for Australian Vietnam Veterans with Combat-Related PTSD. J Trauma Stress 12, 371–378 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024740929231

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024740929231

Navigation