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Assessment of Psychological Functioning in Adolescent Earthquake Victims in Colombia Using the MMPI-A

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Journal of Traumatic Stress

Abstract

The earthquake that hit Armenia, Colombia, on January 25, 1999, dramatically impacted the lives of thousands of people, including children and adolescents. This study used the Hispanic MMPI-A to clinically assess for ongoing psychopathology in a group of 59 adolescent earthquake victims. Their scores on the basic, content, and supplementary scales of the instrument were compared to those of a control group of 62 Colombian adolescents with similar socioeconomic, educational, and ethnic backgrounds. The results showed no clinically significant elevations for the earthquake victims indicating that the disaster had not resulted in diagnosable psychopathology. When compared to controls, earthquake victims showed significant elevations on D, Pt, and Sc indicating that they were mildly affected (but within the normal range) by the earthquake. The results are discussed in the context of cultural factors and the contemporary disaster and resiliency literature.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chapman University, Orange, California

    Ronald L. Scott & Monica Beltran-Quiones

  2. Loma Linda University, USA

    Russell L. Knoth

  3. California State University at Long Beach, Long Beach, California

    Nelson Gomez

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  1. Ronald L. Scott
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  2. Russell L. Knoth
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  3. Monica Beltran-Quiones
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  4. Nelson Gomez
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Correspondence to Ronald L. Scott.

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Scott, R.L., Knoth, R.L., Beltran-Quiones, M. et al. Assessment of Psychological Functioning in Adolescent Earthquake Victims in Colombia Using the MMPI-A. J Trauma Stress 16, 49–57 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022011427985

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