Abstract
The present study assessed whether the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory—2 (MMPI-2) F scale elevations may reflect genuine trauma-related distress and/or psychopathology, rather than malingering, in a clinical sample of adult child sexual abuse (CSA) victims. Eighty-eight women seeking outpatient treatment for CSA after-effects participated. Self-report measures of dissociation, posttraumatic stress, depression, and family environment individually correlated significantly with F, and collectively accounted for 40% of its variance. Dissociation was the strongest predictor. Findings suggest that high F elevations may reflect genuine problem areas often found among CSA victims, rather than symptom overreporting.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alexander, P. C. (1993). The differential effects of abuse characteristics and attachment in the prediction of long-term effects of sexual abuse. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 8, 346-362.
American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
Arbisi, P. A., Ben-Porath, Y. S., (1998). The ability of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory—2 validity scales to detect fake-bad responses in psychiatric inpatients. Psychological Assessment, 10, 221-228.
Beck, A. T. (1967). The diagnosis and management of depression. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
Beck, A. T., Steer, R. A., Garbin, M. G., (1988). Psychometric properties of the Beck Depression Inventory: Twenty-five years of evaluation. Clinical Psychology Review, 8, 77-100.
Beitchman, J. H., Zucker, K. J., Hood, J. E., da Costa, G. A., Akman, D., Cassavia, E. (1992). A review of the long-term effects of child sexual abuse. Child Abuse and Neglect, 16, 101-118.
Boney-McCoy, S., Finkelhor, D. (1996). Is youth victimization related to trauma symptoms and depression after controlling for prior symptoms and family relationships? A longitudinal, prospective study. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64, 1406-1416.
Briere, J. (1997). Psychological assessment of adult posttraumatic states. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Briere, J., Elliott, D. M. (1997). Psychological assessment of interpersonal victimization effects in adults and children. Psychotherapy, 34, 353-364.
Browne, A., Finkelhor, D. (1986). Impact of child sexual abuse: A review of the research. Psychological Bulletin, 99, 66-77.
Butcher, J. N., Dahlstrom, W. G., Graham, J. R., Tellegen, A., Kaemmer, B. (1989). Manual for the administration and scoring of the MMPI-2. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press.
Carlin, A. S., Ward, N. G. (1992). Subtypes of psychiatric inpatient women who have been sexually abused. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 180, 392-397.
Carlson, E. B., Armstrong, J. (1994). The diagnosis and assessment of dissociative disorders. In S. J. Lynn J. W. Rhue (Eds.), Dissociation: Clinical and theoretical perspectives (pp. 159-174). New York: Guilford Press.
Dahlstrom, W. G., Welsh, G. S., Dahlstrom, L. E., (1975). An MMPI handbook: Vol. 2. Research developments and applications. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press.
Elhai, J. D., Gold, S. N., Sellers, A. H., Dorfman, W. I. (2001). The detection of malingered posttraumatic stress disorder with MMPI-2 fake bad indices. Assessment, 8, 221-236.
Elhai, J. D., Klotz Flitter, J. M., Gold, S. N., Sellers, A. H. (2001). Identifying subtypes of women survivors of childhood sexual abuse: An MMPI-2 cluster analysis. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 14, 157-175.
Follette, W. C., Naugle, A. E., Follette, V. M., (1997). MMPI-2 profiles of adult women with child sexual abuse histories: Cluster-analytic findings. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 65, 858-866.
Frueh, B. C., Hamner, M. B., Cahill, S. P., Gold, P. B., Hamlin, K. (2000). Apparent symptom overreporting among combat veterans evaluated for PTSD. Clinical Psychology Review, 20, 853-885.
Gold, S. N., Hughes, D. M., Swingle, J. M., (1996). Characteristics of childhood sexual abuse among female survivors in therapy. Child Abuse and Neglect, 20, 323-335.
Greene, R. L. (2000). The MMPI-2: An interpretive manual (2nd ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Hathaway, S. R., McKinley, J. C., (1943). Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press.
Horowitz, M., Wilner, N., Alvarez, W. (1979). Impact of event scale: A measure of subjective stress. Psychosomatic Medicine, 41, 209-218.
Lundberg-Love, P. K., Marmion, S., Ford, K., Geffner, R., Peacock, L. (1992). The long-term consequences of childhood incestuous victimization upon adult women's psychological symptomatology. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 1, 81-102.
Moos, R. H., Moos, B. S. (1994). Social Climate Scale: The Family Environment Scale manual (3rd ed.). Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.
Nash, M. R., Hulsey, T. L., Sexton, M. C., Harralson, T. L., Lambert, W. (1993). Long-term sequelae of childhood sexual abuse: Perceived family environment, psychopathology, and dissociation. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 2, 276-283.
Rogers, R., Sewell, K. W., Salekin, R. T., (1994). A meta-analysis of malingering on the MMPI-2. Assessment, 1, 227-237.
Zilberg, N. J., Weiss, D. S., Horowitz, M. J., (1982). Impact of event scale: A cross-validation study and some empirical evidence supporting a conceptual model of stress response syndromes. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 50, 407-414.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
About this article
Cite this article
Klotz Flitter, J.M., Elhai, J.D. & Gold, S.N. MMPI-2 F Scale Elevations in Adult Victims of Child Sexual Abuse. J Trauma Stress 16, 269–274 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1023700208696
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1023700208696