title: Use of the MMPI-2-RF suicidal/death ideation and substance abuse scales in screening bariatric surgery candidates.
abstract: Bariatric surgery patients are at increased risk for suicide and lifetime substance abuse problems, and these risks are surgical contraindications. The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) has scales to screen for these risks factors, among others. We seek to evaluate the classification accuracy of the MMPI-2-RF Suicidal/Death Ideation (SUI) and Substance Abuse (SUB) scales to optimize their use in bariatric surgery settings. Data were collected from 1,311 (72.1% female; 65.5% Caucasian) bariatric surgery candidates from the Cleveland Clinic as well as 295 (94.1% female; 85.9% Caucasian) bariatric surgery candidates from a private practice in St. Paul, Minnesota. Classification accuracies were calculated at original and revised SUI and SUB interpretative cutoffs in the Cleveland Clinic sample and replicated in the St. Paul sample. Significant and meaningful classification accuracy gains were demonstrated by excluding a death ideation item from the SUI scale and lowering the interpretive cutoff on the SUB scale. Practical implications and study limitations are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology.
authors.forename: Anthony M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Tarescavage
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Windover
authors.forename: Yossef S
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Ben-Porath
authors.forename: Lana I
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Boutacoff
authors.forename: Ryan J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Marek
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ashton
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Merrell
authors.forename: Megan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lavery
authors.forename: Leslie J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Heinberg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001293:Attitude to Death; D050110:Bariatric Surgery / Q000523:psychology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008950:MMPI / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000523:psychology*; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D059020:Suicidal Ideation