title: MMPI-2 profiles of women differing in sexual abuse history and sexual orientation.
abstract: Four groups of women (N = 115) self-identified as having histories of childhood sexual abuse or no such histories and self-identified as either heterosexual or lesbian were compared using a questionnaire and the MMPI-2. Subjects ranged in age from 21-60 years with 60% between ages 30-50 years. Results of a Three-Way MANOVA for abuse history and sexual orientation repeated across MMPI-2 clinical scales showed a between-subjects effect for abuse, and within-subjects effects for orientation and abuse. T scores of women with abuse histories were significantly higher than those of women without abuse histories on Hs, D, Pd, Pa, Pt, Sc, and Ma scales of the MMPI-2. Profiles indicated an 8-4 codetype and a Scarlett O'Hara V configuration for the group with abuse history. Heterosexual women obtained significantly higher t scores than did lesbians on the Depression scale. Results show that the MMPI-2 can be used to help detect lesbian as well as heterosexual adults who were sexually molested as children.
authors.affiliation: Kent State University, USA.
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Griffith
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Myers
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Cusick
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Tankersley
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D018452:Homosexuality, Female / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory; D015203:Reproducibility of Results