The relationship of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) profile clusters to pain behaviors

Abstract

Previous research involving cluster analysis of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) profiles among persons with chronic low back pain has suggested the existence of four distinct profile clusters. The present study had two goals: (1) to replicate the previous finding independently and (2) to investigate the relationship of the profiles to the subjects' self-reported pain history and response to treatment. Subjects were 92 patients in a multimodal inpatient low back-pain treatment program. A cluster analysis of the MMPI profiles was performed and the resultant clusters were compared in terms of histories and treatment outcome. The four clusters were successfully replicated for the total sample and for males and females separately. The profiles were significantly related to subjects' pain histories, but only one outcome difference was found. It was inferred that the MMPI is of value in understanding patients' pain coping behaviors but that further research is needed to explore the utility of the MMPI in understanding their response to treatment.

Psychogenic Pain and Psychological Variables: a Psychometric Study

“…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.…”

Schmerzintensität, Stimmung und medizinische Maßnahmen bei Patienten mit prächronischen Rückenschmerzen

“…Diese Gruppierung entsprach weitgehend der Subgruppenbildung anderer Autoren, die mit ähnlichen und anderen Methoden bei Schmerzpatienten gewonnen wurden [4,9,15,20].…”

Subtypes of Psychosocial Adjustment to breast cancer

“…Ultimately investigators (e.g., McCreary, 1985) utilized cluster analytic procedures different from those commonly used in previous studies to provide a stricter test of subgroup replicability. Examination also turned to the identification of meaningful correlates for external validation purposes and clinical utility (Guck et al, 1988;McCreary, 1985;McGill et al, 1983;Moore et al, 1986;Rosen et al, 1987).…”