Utility of the MMPI-2 in Assessing Gender Dysphoric Patients

Abstract

We compared MMPI-2 (Butcher, Dahlstrom, Graham, Tellegen, & Kaemmer, 1989) profiles of 2 groups of adult biological men requesting sex reassignment surgery; 1 group was diagnosed with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd ed., rev. [DSM-III-R]; American Psychiatric Association, 1987) transsexualism and the other with gender identity disorder of adolescence and adulthood, nontranssexual type (GIDAANT). Although the mean profiles for the transsexual group did not demonstrate any psychopathology, the GIDAANT group showed moderate psychopathology. A cluster analysis indicated that 85% of the transsexual group showed low psychopathology and 47% of the GIDAANT group showed severe psychopathology. Neither the MMPI-2 results nor the DSM-III-R clinical evaluation support the conclusion of many authors that transsexualism is associated with severe personality disorder; rather, the data indicate that transsexualism and other gender identity disorders without persistent wish for sex reassignment differ significantly in degree of psychopathology.

The DSM Diagnostic Criteria for Gender Identity Disorder in Adolescents and Adults

“…High percentages of psychiatric comorbidity, however, are not always found. In many studies, transsexuals were found to generally function well psychologically in the nonclinical range (e.g., Cole, O'Boyle, Emory, & Meyer, 1997;Gómez-Gil, Trilla, Salamero, Godás, & Valdés, 2009;Haraldsen & Dahl, 2000;Mate-Kole, Freschi, & Robin, 1990;Miach, Berah, Butcher, & Rouse, 2000;Seikowski, Gollek, Harth, & Reinhardt, 2008;Smith, van Goozen, & CohenKettenis, 2001;Smith et al, 2005). Indeed, clinically, one may see applicants who are employed, have relationships, and function socially without any problems, yet very strongly desire sex reassignment.…”

Transexualismo y salud mental

“…En cambio, las personas transexuales que tienen la posibilidad de realizar el cambio de sexo muestran un nivel relativamente bajo de síntomas o de trastornos psicopatológicos tanto antes como después de los tratamientos irreversibles (Haraldsen y Dahl, 2000). Datos que no apoyan las conclusiones aportada por algunos autores sobre que el transexualismo por si mismo está asociado con severos trastornos de la personalidad (Miach, Berach, Butcher y Rouse, 2000).…”

“…Actualmente hay un cuestionamiento acerca de la consideración del transexualismo como un trastorno mental severo y, asimismo, aparecen en la literatura controversias sobre la presencia de una elevada frecuencia de patología mental grave asociada (Hales, Yudofsky y Talbott, 1996;Cole, O`boyle y Emory, 1977;Roberts y Gotlib, 1997;Becerra, de Luis y Piedrola, 1999;Haraldsen y Dahl, 2000;Miach et al, 2000;Kersting et al, 2003).…”

Transexualismo masculino

“…Em relação ao psiquismo, entre os transexuais podemos encontrar variações, desde psicoses até a total normalidade, exceto pelas conotações associadas ao seu problema propriamente dito, sendo, no entanto, importante usar as recomendações do DSM-IV, para o diagnóstico correto (13,14). Mesmos nos psicóticos ou altamente neuróti -cos, uma vez estabelecido o diagnóstico, o tratamento, (6).…”