MMPI-2-RF Scales as Predictors of Psychiatric Diagnoses

The MMPI-2-RF is an alternative version of the MMPI-2 (Butcher, Dahlstrom, Graham, Tellegen, & Kaemmer, 1989) and is useful for the differential diagnosis of psychiatric disorders (Tellegen & Ben-Porath, 2008b). The current study sought to assess the relationship between MMPI-2 scale scores and psychiatric diagnoses, and to identify the scales that best predicted that a diagnosis would be assigned. The sample included participants who were administered the MMPI-2 between 2001-2010 at a university-based psychological services center and subjects were divided into diagnostic categories based on Diagnosis and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, Fourth Edition Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) diagnoses. Categories with enough participants to conduct statistical analyses were examined; these categories included participants who were diagnosed with substance-related disorders, depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, and subjects who were not given a psychiatric diagnosis. The Substance Related Disorders category was not significantly correlated with any scale but was best predicted by RC3 and SUB. The Depressive Disorders category was significantly correlated with EID, RCd, RC2, and SFD, and was best predicted by RCd. The Anxiety Disorders category did not significantly correlate with any scale but was best predicted by FS and GIC. The No Diagnosis category was negatively correlated with F-r, EID, RCd, HLP, and COG, and was best predicted by EID. This study offers important information regarding scales that best predict psychiatric disorders and adds to the research that suggests that the MMPI-2-RF can aid clinicians in the differentiation of psychiatric disorders.