Use of the MMPI-3 with Catholic and Episcopal Seminary and Religious Life Applicants

Psychological evaluations and testing using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) among other instruments have been used to screen clerical and religious life applicants for decades. While much research has been conducted and published regarding these evaluations, the newer MMPI-3 has not been examined among this population. This study reviewed MMPI-3 results from 18 applicants to seminary and religious life from the Roman Catholic and Episcopal faith traditions to determine if the participants are generally psychological healthy and if they have any consistent elevations in their MMPI-3 testing scores. Additionally, we examined MMPI-3 differences among Catholics versus Episcopal applicants. Our preliminary results using a small sample suggest that applicants to seminary and religious life are generally psychologically healthy but tend to be defensive, presenting themselves in a favorable and virtuous manner. Additionally, Catholics tend to score higher on inconsistent responses but lower on psychoticism than Episcopalians. Further research should use larger and more diverse sample sizes to better understand how the MMPI-3 performs among this population

Development and initial validation of Personality Disorder Syndrome scales for the MMPI-3

The purpose of the present study was to revise and update the MMPI-2-RF personality disorder (PD) syndrome scales for the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–3 (MMPI-3). Study 1 describes the development of the MMPI-3 PD syndrome scales in three separate samples of community participants (n = 1,591), university students (n = 1,660), and outpatient mental health patients (n = 1,537). The authors independently evaluated each of the 72 new MMPI-3 items and rated them for appropriateness for scale inclusion and used various statistical procedures for final item selection. Ultimately, all 10 scales were revised, with nine incorporating items that were new to the MMPI-3. In Study 2, we subsequently validated the new MMPI-3 PD Syndrome scales against measures of traditional PD measures, trait measures of the Alternative Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition-5 model of personality disorders (AMPD) and the five-factor model (FFM) of personality, and specific criterion measures of externalizing, psychopathy, narcissism, emotional dysregulation, and self-harm, in two samples of university students (ns = 489 and 645). With some exceptions, the results were generally supportive of the convergent and discriminant validities of the MMPI-3 PD Syndrome scales. The Histrionic PD scale in particular was associated with questionable results and diverged most strongly from the theoretical construct it was originally meant to reflect. Further continuous validation of the scales is needed, especially in clinical samples, but the findings to date are promising

MMPI-3 Indicators of Suicidal Ideation and Behavior in Post-9/11 Veterans

Suicide remains a serious concern among post-9/11 U.S. military veterans, highlighting the need for effective tools to identify those at risk. This study examined whether the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-3 (MMPI-3), a commonly used psychological test, can help assess suicide risk in this population. I analyzed responses from 189 post-9/11 veterans, a group largely reflective of the current veteran population, who completed the MMPI-3 and other measures looking at their mental health and history of suicidal thoughts or attempts. I focused on the MMPI-3’s Suicidal/Death Ideation (SUI) scale, along with other MMPI-3 scales that measure internalizing symptoms (such as depression and anxiety) and externalizing traits (such as impulsivity and aggression). Veterans who reported suicidal thoughts or past attempts scored higher on the SUI scale than those who did not. The SUI scale also helped distinguish between veterans with suicidal thoughts and those who had attempted suicide. Internalizing scales were more helpful in identifying veterans with suicidal thoughts, while externalizing scales helped distinguish those who had acted on these thoughts. The SUI scale showed strong connections with other well-established measures of suicidal thinking and self-harm. It also added unique value beyond other MMPI-3 scales when predicting suicide-related experiences. These findings suggest that the MMPI-3—especially the SUI scale—can play a useful role in identifying suicide risk in veterans. It may help mental health professionals better understand both emotional distress and behavioral risk factors that contribute to suicide, improving prevention and intervention efforts

PERBEDAAN TINGKAT KECEMASAN PADA PENDERITA DIABETES MELLITUS (DM) TIPE I DENGAN DIABETES MELLITUS (DM) TIPE II

Indonesia sehat 2010 merupakan visi yang ingin dicapai oleh seluruh masyarakat Indonesia agar taraf kesehatan bangsa ini pun meningkat. Namun, tak dapat dipungkiri, Indonesia sebagai Negara yang sedang berkembang mengalami berbagai masalah kesehatan. Penyebab kematian di Indonesia, dahulu disebabkan oleh penyakit infeksi, maka dewasa ini penyebab kematiannya didominasi oleh penyakit degeneratif, diantaranya adalah Diabetes Mellitus (DM). (Shahab, 2006) Diabetes Mellitus (DM) adalah suatu penyakit dimana kadar glukosa (gula sederhana) di dalam darah tinggi karena tubuh tidak dapat melepaskan atau menggunakan insulin secara adekuat. Penyakit ini dapat menyerang segala lapisan umur dan sosial ekonomi. Di Indonesia saat ini penyakit DM belum menempati skala prioritas utama pelayanan kesehatan walaupun sudah jelas dampak negatifnya, yaitu berupa penurunan kualitas SDM, terutama akibat penyulit menahun yang ditimbulkannya (Shahab, 2006) Semua jenis DM memiliki gejala yang mirip dan komplikasi pada tingkat lanjut. Hiperglisemia sendiri dapat menyebabkan dehidrasi dan ketoasidosis. Komplikasi jangka lama termasuk penyakit kardiovaskular (risiko ganda), kegagalan kronis ginjal (penyebab utama dialysis), kerusakan retina yang dapat menyebabkan kebutaan, serta kerusakan saraf yang dapat menyebabkan impotensi dan gangrene dengan risiko amputasi. Komplikasi yang lebih serius lebih umum bila dikontrol kadar gula darah buruk. (Hermawan, 2009

Perbedaan derajat kecemasan dan depresi mahasiswa kedokteran preklinik dan ko-asisten di FK UNS Surakarta

Abstrak Kecemasan adalah suatu keadaan patologis yang ditandai oleh perasaan ketakutan disertai tanda somatik pertanda sistem saraf autonom yang hiperaktif. Sedangkan depresi adalah gangguan perasaan atau mood yang disertai komponen psikologi berupa sedih, susah, tidak ada harapan dan putus asa, dan komponen biologi atau somatik misalnya anoreksia, konstipasi, dan keringat dingin. Kecemasan dan depresi dapat terjadi pada mahasiswa preklinik dan ko-asisten. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui adakah perbedaan kecemasan dan depresi mahasiswa preklinik dan ko-asisten di Fakultas Kedokteran Universitas Sebelas Maret Surakarta. Mahasiswa preklinik adalah mahasiswa fakultas kedokteran yang sedang menempuh program S1, dimana keterbatasan masa studi dapat menjadi stressor. Sedangkan ko-asisten adalah mahasiswa fakultas kedokteran yang telah menyelesaikan program S1 yang sedang menempuh program profesi kedokteran. Tugas dan tanggungjawab yang berat dapat menjadi stressor terjadinya kecemasan dan depresi. Pada bulan Mei 2010 dilakukan penelitian deskriptif analitik dengan pendekatan cross sectional. Data diambil dengan menyebarkan kuesioner kepada mahasiswa preklinik dan ko-asisten. Kuesioner terdiri dari tiga macam yaitu L-MMPI untuk menilai kebohongan responden, TMAS untuk menilai kecemasan, dan BDI untuk menilai depresi. Analisa data menggunakan uji T dengan tingkat kemaknaan α= 0,05. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan ko-asisten lebih cemas dan lebih depresif daripada mahasiswa preklinik (TMAS t= -3,328, p= 0,002 dan BDI t= 2,410, p= 0,019). Peneliti menyimpulkan terdapat perbedaan kecemasan dan depresi yang bermakna antara mahasiswa preklinik dan ko-asisten, dimana ko-asisten lebih cemas dan depresif daripada mahasiswa preklinik

"Me gustaría ser militar". Reproducción de la masculinidad hegemónica en la patologización de la transexualidad

La Organización Mundial de la Salud y la Asociación de Psiquiatría Americana catalogan la transexualidad como una patología bajo el nombre de ‘trastorno de identidad de género’ y ‘disforia de género’, respectivamente. En el contexto español, la Ley 3/2007 establece que para poder modificarse la mención de sexo hace falta presentar, entre otros, un certificado de dicho diagnóstico. Las Unidades de Trastornos de Identidad de Género, ubicadas en las unidades de psiquiatría de diferentes hospitales públicos, son las encargadas de expedir este tipo de certificados una vez pasado un proceso que puede durar dos años. En este artículo, tras analizar la construcción del género que subyace en el discurso médico oficial sobre la transexualidad se concluye que se establece una visión patologizadora, binarista, biologista y que fomenta, en el caso de los trans masculinos, los estereotipos de la masculinidad hegemónica.The World Health Organization and the American Psychiatric Association categorize transsexuality as a pathology, under the names of “gender identity disorder” and “gender dysphoria” respectively. In the Spanish context, Ley 3/2007, also known as the “Gender Identity Law”, establishes that in order to change one’s official gender, one must provide, among other requirements, a certificate for such diagnoses. UTIGs (Unities for Gender Identity Disorder), located in the psychiatric division of several public hospitals, are responsible for the expedition of such certificates, once undergone a process that can take up to two years. In this article we analyze the construction of gender and masculinity underlying the official medical discourse about transsexuality. We conclude that those discourses establish a pathologizing, binarist, biologistic gaze, which, in the case of trans men, foments hegemonic masculinity stereotypes

A Psychometric Examination of the US Spanish MMPI-3: Reliability, Validity, and Comparability to the English Form

The US Spanish Multiphasic Personality Inventory-3 (MMPI-3) is a recently released translated version of the well-researched English MMPI-3. The current study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the US Spanish MMPI-3 and its comparability to the English version. Data was extracted from a larger study on the functionality of the MMPI-3 in bilingual college students. Subjects (n = 303) were Latinx Spanish/English bilingual college students recruited from two Texas universities (Sam Houston State University and University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley) who were administered both translations of the MMPI-2-Restructured Form-Extended Battery (MMPI-2-RF-EX) and later the MMPI-3 in a counterbalanced design across two timepoints. First, we examined internal consistency and inter-item correlations for all Spanish and English MMPI-3 scales. Overall, scales exhibited adequate internal consistency and inter-item correlations. Next, we conducted test-retest correlations between same language MMPI-3’s administered a week apart to determine test-retest reliability of the separate forms, which rendered adequate test-retest reliability. We then ran correlation analyses between the two language versions of the MMPI-3 and found adequate convergence and divergence between the forms. Lastly, we conducted correlational analyses between the Spanish and English MMPI-3 versions with external criterion measures of personality and general psychopathology. Steiger’s z-tests were used to determine whether associations with external criteria differ across test versions. Analyses suggested minimal differences between the forms with some notable differences, particularly within the Psychoticism domain. There were also some scales, specifically externalizing and substance use, with range restriction that limited significant findings. Overall, the current study demonstrated the US Spanish MMPI-3 can be used within a Latinx, bilingual college sample