Psychological profiles distinguishing litigating and nonlitigating pain patients: subtle, and not so subtle.
Chronic pain patients in the midst of litigation over settlement for their injuries were examined as a naturally occurring group where one might expect various distortions or differences in test findings on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Revised (MMPI-2). Similar groups of 43 chronic pain patients in litigation and 45 not in litigation were examined on 10 key MMPI-2 variables selected a priori. Multivariate analysis of variance revealed a significant difference between groups (p = .036). Litigators were most distinct in endorsing more obvious and fewer subtle symptoms. A conversion profile was also more salient for litigators once the obvious versus subtle differences were taken into account. Implications for use of the MMPI-2 and for clinical work with litigious patients are examined.
Dush
D M
DM
MidMichigan Regional Medical Center, Central Michigan University.
Simons
L E
LE
Platt
M
M
Nation
P C
PC
Ayres
S Y
SY
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004608:Eligibility Determination / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016365:Liability, Legal; D008950:MMPI / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008306:Malingering / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D008318:Malpractice / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000523:psychology*; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results