Using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) to Detect Psychological Distress and Dysfunction in a State Correctional Setting

2004 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 734-751 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maureen S. Black ◽  
Johnathan D. Forbey ◽  
Yossef S. Ben-Porath ◽  
John R. Graham ◽  
John L. McNulty ◽  
...  

Approximately 1.3 million men and 93,000 women are currently detained in state and federal correctional facilities. The ability to identify upon admission to a correctional facility those individuals who either have or are at an increased risk for developing significant psychological difficulties is crucial in order to allow early detection of inmates requiring mental health services. This study investigates the frequency with which 34,281 male and 6,878 female inmates from a state corrections facility reported significant levels of distress and dysfunction upon intake to the correctional system as measured by various clinical scales of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2). Results indicate that a substantial proportion of incarcerated adults reported significant levels of distress across a variety of psychological, social, and behavioral domains.

2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 110-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paolo Roma ◽  
Federica Ricci ◽  
Georgios D. Kotzalidis ◽  
Luigi Abbate ◽  
Anna Lubrano Lavadera ◽  
...  

In recent years, several studies have addressed the issue of positive self-presentation bias in assessing parents involved in postdivorce child custody litigations. The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) is widely used in forensic assessments and is able to evaluate positive self-presentation through its Superlative Self-Presentation S scale. We investigated the existence of a gender effect on positive self-presentation bias in an Italian sample of parents involved in court evaluation. Participants were 391 divorced parents who completed the full 567-item Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 during child custody evaluations ordered by several Italian courts between 2006 and 2010. Our analysis considered the S scale along with the basic clinical scales. North-American studies had shown no gender differences in child custody litigations. Differently, our results showed a significantly higher tendency toward “faking-good” profiles on the MMPI-2 among Italian women as compared to men and as compared to the normative Italian female population. Cultural and social factors could account for these differences.


1998 ◽  
Vol 83 (1) ◽  
pp. 115-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gloria Losada-Paisey

The present study investigated the relationship between offender type and personality in 21 juvenile males adjudicated for crimes of a sexual nature and 30 juvenile males adjudicated for nonsexual offenses including Possession of Narcotics, Burglary, Criminal Mischief, Assault, and other crimes involving property. Subjects who were aged 13 to 17 years (mean age 15) and committed to the State of Connecticut, Long Lane School, were administered the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–Adolescent (MMPI–A). Scores on Psychopathic Deviate and Schizophrenia scales contributed most to the juveniles being classified as sex offenders, whereas scores on Hysteria and Psychasthenia contributed primarily to subjects being classified as nonsex offenders. A single discriminant function attained statistical significance, thereby correctly classifying 77% of the nonsex offenders and 71% of the sex offenders. Results indicate that sex offenders may be distinguished from nonsex offenders according to clinical scales of the MMPI–A.


1985 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 1013-1014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas T. Gallucci

Whether indexes of consistent responding on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) measured dissimulation versus random responding was evaluated with Veterans Administration Medical Center psychiatric patients who were applying for disability benefits. Elevations on the Test-Retest index and Carelessness scale did not correspond with motivation to dissimulate. Comparing profiles without elevated validity indexes and with Carelessness scales that were either elevated or not elevated, the clinical scales were uniformly higher for profiles with heightened Carelessness scales.


2020 ◽  
pp. 88-119
Author(s):  
Fedor I. Ushkov ◽  
Lilia A. Shaigerova ◽  
Aleksandra G. Dolgikh ◽  
Olga V. Almazova

Relevance. In the correctional facilities the staff plays a special role in the life of juvenile offenders serving sentences and isolated from the society. It is not only the rehabilitation process in the juvenile correctional facility but also the success of resocialization after serving the sentence that is determined by their actions and the attitude towards the juvenile convicts. Objective. The aim of the study was to study exactly which indicators of mental health and emotional state of juvenile convicts are associated with perceived and received socio-psychological support from psychologists and caregivers of the juvenile correctional facility in comparison with support from other sources. Methods and participants. The study involved 657 adolescents serving sentences in nine juvenile correctional facilities, aged 14 to 19 years (564 boys and 93 girls).The study used the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), an item specifically developed for identifying the frequency of seeking help from various categories of people present in respondents’ lives; the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales - DASS-21); the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS); and the Scale of Positive and Negative Experience (SPANE). Results. Differences were identified in the relationship between perceived social support from different sources and the frequency of seeking help for different categories with indicators of mental health and emotional state of young convicts. The study also identified the impact of different support sources on anxiety, stress, and the strength of positive and negative emotions. The study emphasizes the special role of caregivers and psychologists compared to other categories of stuff in predicting the levels of depression. Conclusions. The perceived social support from the staff and the frequency of juvenile convicts asking psychologists and caregivers for help have a significant impact on mental health indicators and the emotional state of juvenile offenders. Peers and friends have the least impact on the mental health and emotional state of incarcerated youth, as opposed to free adolescents. On the contrary, “significant adults” represented by staff of correctional camps (educators and psychologists) make a significant contribution to reducing mental health disorders and improving the emotional state of offenders. Perceived social support from “significant others” helps reduce stress. Asking educators for help can be considered a predictor of lower levels of depression, anxiety, and stress in juvenile convicts. In turn, the level of positive emotions is mostly determined by seeking help from a psychologist.


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 149-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Sellbom

This article describes the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) and situates the instrument in contemporary psychopathology and personality literature. The historical evolution of the MMPI instruments is highlighted, including how failure to update the test for several decades resulted in increasing disinterest by basic researchers and how the restructuring efforts beginning in the 2000s promised to realign the instrument with basic research. In this regard, the construct validity associated with MMPI-2-RF scores in the context of contemporary dimensional models of psychopathology is considered. Research supporting the applied utility of the MMPI-2-RF scales in a variety of contexts—including mental health screenings, presurgical evaluations, forensic assessment, and public safety screening—is also reviewed. Critiques of the MMPI-2-RF are described and addressed. Finally, a series of recommendations for future updates of the MMPI-2-RF are described along with a path toward the MMPI-3.


1997 ◽  
Vol 80 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1087-1090 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alfred L. Brophy

Raw-score means of the Cook-Medley Hostility scale are smaller in the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) normative group than in the MMPI normative group, and T scores are larger. The results contrast with those for the clinical scales but are consistent with results for some other scales. Reasons for the different patterns of MMPI and MMPI-2 scores are discussed.


Author(s):  
Alexis M. Humenik ◽  
Sindhu Shivaji ◽  
Sara L. Dolan

Drug Court Treatment (DCT) Programs seek to integrate substance abuse treatment into the criminal justice system by providing a structured environment for offenders who engage in treatment in lieu of incarceration. DCT has shown successes in reducing drug/alcohol use, recidivism, and cost, but the impact of DCT on non-substance-related mental health outcomes is less clear. This study evaluated mental health correlates within a DCT sample through analyses of participants’ pre-entry and pre-graduation Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory—Second Edition (MMPI-2) profiles. When diagnostic information was available, mood disorders had the highest comorbidity with alcohol/substance use diagnoses. Comparisons across administrations of the MMPI-2 indicated significant differences among mean scores on 6 Clinical scales, and mean profile elevation scores significantly decreased. Results suggest a significant presence of mental health comorbidities in DCT programs, and significant mental health improvements were seen for graduates, suggesting the utility of DCT for treating mental health problems in addition to substance use.


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