MMPI interpretation of psychiatric inpatients: caution in making inferences about concentration and memory.
The relation of specific MMPI scores to attention, concentration, and memory was assessed in an inpatient psychiatric sample diagnosed by DSM-III-R criteria as having schizophrenia, chronic undifferentiated type (n = 22); schizophrenia, paranoid type (n = 17); and schizoaffective disorder (n = 20). MMPI indices that are used widely to infer cognitive efficiency--including Scales 2 (Depression), 8 (Schizophrenia), SC-PT, D4 (Mental Dullness), SC2A (Lack of Ego Mastery, Cognitive), PSY (Psychoticism) and ORG (Organic Symptoms)--were investigated in relation to actual performance on Digit Span and subtests of the Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS, Russell's Revision). Weak correlations emerged (maximum r = .31, p less than .05), which suggests that scores on these MMPI measures may not provide a reliable basis for inferring attention and memory functioning.
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, Florida.
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Gass
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Burda
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Starkey
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Dominguez
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001288:Attention; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric; D006801:Humans; D008094:Lithium / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008950:MMPI / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D008875:Middle Aged; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D008094:Lithium