Analysis of response patterns on the MMPI-2 in psychiatric prison inmates

Abstract

In order to assess mental health status, and the classification of both the overreporting and underreporting scales and indexes, 102 psychiatric prison inmates deemed mentally incompetent to stand trial completed the Spanish adaptation of the MMPI-2 under standard instructions (honest responding). The results showed patterns of consistent, non-random, nor extremely acquiescent responses. Moreover, no-outlier responses were detected. In line with the psychiatric diagnosis, all the psychiatric prison inmates were classified by the basic clinical scales as clinical cases of the psychotic dyad i.e., schizophrenia and paranoid ideation. The overreporting scales and indexes (i.e., F, K, Fb, F-K, Fp, Ds and FBS) classified the participants as malingerers, whereas the L, Wsd, and Od underreporting scales as good feigners. These scales assessing impression management i.e., consciously faking good biased responses, did not classify overreporters. Thus, they are robust indicators of honest responding among psychiatric prison inmates. The implications of these results for the practice of forensic psychology are discussed.

User violence towards nursing professionals in mental health services and emergency units

“…Different studies have studied the Emergency Units as a focus of aggressions, assuming that these professionals run greater relative risk than other specialties (James, Madeley, & Dove, 2006;Winstanley & Whittington, 2004). Other studies report that hospital violence occurs more frequently in psychiatric units, emergency units and geriatric units (Osuna, López-Martínez, Arce, & Vázquez, 2015;Spector, Zhou, & Che, 2014). There is a consensus that, within the healthcare sector, the nursing staff is one of the professional groups with the highest incidence of aggressions (Franz et al, 2010;Kling et al, 2009;Roche et al, 2010;Shields & Wilkins, 2009).…”

Contrasting the efficacy of the MMPI-2-RF overreporting scales in the detection of malingering

“…Hence, forensic evaluation pursues a twofold objective: to measure an individual's clinical status, and to establish a differential diagnosis of malingering (Osuna, López-Martínez, Arce, & Vázquez, 2015). To achieve both objectives, a multi-method and multi-measure technique combining interviews with a psychometric measure, the MMPI being the leading psychometric instrument worldwide (Ben-Porath, 2013;Graham, 2011;Greene, 2011;McDermott, 2012), must be employed.…”

Ajuste psicológico y habilidades para la resolución de problemas en condenados por homicidio o tentativa de homicidio

“…Esto no implica que la sintomatología hallada posea por sí misma entidad suficiente como para hablar de la presencia de algún trastorno mental de orden psicótico, tan sólo que, en contraste con la población general normativa, los condenados por homicidio presentan más sintomatología propia de estos trastornos, y que de haber estado presente durante la comisión de los mismos pudo haber contribuido como factor de riesgo, al menos parcialmente, a la emisión del comportamiento homicida. Asimismo, tampoco se puede sostener que tuviese entidad suficiente como para anular las capacidades cognoscitivas y volitivas hasta el punto de substanciar una sentencia de inimputabilidad (Osuna, López-Martínez, Arce y Vázquez, 2015).…”