The 49-item MMPI PTSD Subscale, developed and validated with Vietnam combat veterans, was administered to validation and cross-validation samples of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) patients who had experienced nonmilitary traumatic events and to psychiatric controls (total N = 69). Using a cutting score of 19, derived from the validation sample only, the PTSD subscale correctly classified 87% of all validation subjects and 88% of all cross-validation subjects. Results strongly support the utility of MMPI assessment of PTSD with civilian trauma victims as one component of a broad assessment strategy.
Recently, Keane, Malloy, and Fairbank (1984) developed a 49-item MMPI subtest to diagnose posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among combat veterans. With this scale, the authors were able to classify correctly 82% of their male Vietnam veteran patients into either PTSD or non-PTSD diagnostic groups.
To date, three cross-validation studies have been published, all of which have utilized Vietnam combat veterans for the PTSD group (Gayton, Burchstead, & Matthews, 1986; Hyer et al., 1986; Watson, Kucala, & Manifold, 1986). Diagnostic hit rates for these studies were 56%, 69070, and 64%, respectively; true positive PTSD rates were 57%, 73%, and 73%, respectively. These findings provide modest to moderate cross-validation of the PTSD subscale for a veteran population.
Since the publication in 1980 of the Third Edition of the Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (American Psychiatric Association, 1980), it has been widely recognized that PTSD can result from a host of non-military traumatic experiences as well as from combat. A few researchers have studied the utility of psychometric assessment of PTSD with civilian trauma victims (e.g., Horowitz, Wilner, Kaltreider, & Alvarez, 1980; Madakasira & O'Brien, 1987), but the vast majority of studies continue to focus on military combat populations. (For reviews, see Keane, Wolfe, & Taylor, 1987; Koretzky & Rosenoer, 1987.)
To date, no studies have attempted to assess empirically the utility of the MMPI for diagnosing PTSD in victims exposed to civilian rather than combat-related traumatic events. The present study makes such an attempt with particular reference to crossvalidation of the PTSD Subscale.
METHOD
Subjects
The subjects were 69 outpatients seen by the second author in his private psychiatric practice. In addition to a variety of traditional psychiatric diagnoses, the practice subspecializes in evaluation and treatment of non-military trauma victims. All subjects
An earlier version was accepted for presentation at the American Psychiatric Association 142nd annual
The authors would like to thank