Pain-patient MMPI subgroups: The psychological dimensions of pain

Abstract

Two-hundred-forty male pain patients were given the MMPI and an extensive pain history questionnaire. A hierarchical clustering procedure was used, and three distinct profiles emerged. One profile was essentially "normal," while a second profile revealed the "hypochondriasis" configuration, and a third was highly elevated on scales which reflect a "psychopathological" type of profile. A discriminant analysis yielded functions correctly classifying over 90% of the subjects in each group. Although the three groups did not significantly differ on age, education, income, IQ, assertiveness, type of pain, or years of pain duration, they did differ on the pain history questions relating to pain severity and pain impact on their lives. The psychopathological group reported significantly more distress than the hypochondriasis group, and the hypochondriasis group reported significantly more distress than the normal group. The implications for pain treatment are discussed.

Psychogenic Pain and Psychological Variables: a Psychometric Study

“…The structural vulnerability of psychogenic pain patients has been studied along two different lines: one, based on psychophysiological recordings [Kraft et al, 1968;Oken, 1974;Witting et al, 1982;Moldofsky et al, 1984] and the other derived from psychometric studies. These studies have described psychogenic pain patients as emotional, overconcerned, active, tending to deny psychological conflicts and prone to suppress the expression of their emotions and feelings [Oken, 1974], Other authors have hypothesized for psychogenic pain pa tients a perceptual and cognitive distortion psychometrically measurable through the as sessment of alexithymic traits [Sifneos, 1982], Psychometric studies using the MMPI have not been conclusive because they have informed about a psychological profile defined by hypochondriac, hysterical and depressive features [Sternbach et al, 1973;Corominas et al, 1978;Armentrout et al, 1982;Main and Wadell, 1982], common to chronic patients in general. McCreary [1979] also found high scores in the social introversion subscale and although other au thors reported several MMPI profiles in chronic pain patients [Prokop et al, 1980;McGill et al, 1983;Bradley and Van der Heide, 1984], there are some doubts about the validity of studies using MMPI.…”

Psychological Factors in the Treatment of Chronic Low Back Pain

“…As far as the authors of this report know, neither type of research has so far been accomplished in back school interventions. On the other hand, there are some studies which report treatment outcome of different multimodal pain treatment programs by comparing sub groups of patients, usually with the aid of the MMPI [6][7][8][9], Again, the results of different studies are in clear contradiction to each oth er. As Love and Peck [10] in their recent review have pointed out.…”

The MMPI-2 in women with headache or facial pain. A comparative study

“…The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) [1] is probably the most widely used of such instruments [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]. Depending on the answers (truefalse) to a large number of questions, a score is given on 3 validity scales (L = lie, F = frequency, K = correction or defence) and on 10 clinical scales (Hs = hypochondria, D = depression, Hy = hysteria, Pd = psychopathological deviation, Mf = masculinity-femininity, Pa = paranoia, Pt = psychasthenia, Sc = schizophrenia, Ma = hypomania, Si = social introversion).…”