title: MMPI-2 clusters of alcohol-dependent patients and the relation to Cloninger's temperament-character inventory.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Psychometric research in the field of alcohol dependence has concentrated on identifying certain (personality) characteristics (i.e. typologies). This paper is aimed to identify such typologies and studies the relation of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) and Cloninger's temperament-character inventory (TCI).
  
  
  METHODS
  To find MMPI-2 scales associated with maximization of group differences between 222 DSM-IV alcohol dependent inpatients and a control group of 222 normal subjects, discriminant analysis was used. In addition, a cluster analysis was performed with these scales, and the MMPI-2 mean scale values of the resulting patient clusters were examined for their TCI-correlates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The discriminant analyses showed several MMPI-2 scales that could clearly distinguish between alcohol-dependent patients and the normal controls. Cluster analysis resulted in semantically different MMPI-2 profiles implying qualitatively different groups of patients. When related to TCI scales, these differences revealed harm avoidance, self-directedness, and persistence, amongst others, as important elements in the description of the clusters.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Evidence for the validity of MMPI-2 constructs as well as those of the TCI in the assessment of alcohol-dependent patients was provided.
authors.affiliation: 1Vincent van Gogh Institute for Psychiatry, Venray, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jos I M
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Egger
authors.affiliation: 2Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gringhuis
authors.affiliation: 2Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marinus A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Breteler
authors.affiliation: 2Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Hubert R A
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: De Mey
authors.affiliation: 1Vincent van Gogh Institute for Psychiatry, Venray, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wingbermühle
authors.affiliation: 2Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jan J L
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Derksen
authors.affiliation: 2Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Sander
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hilberink