What is a traumatic event?
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Agricultural Workers' Diseases↗
Biomedical subjects
J D Elhai
Publications and source records attributed to J D Elhai.
Subtypes of clinical presentations in malingerers of posttraumatic stress disorder: an MMPI-2 cluster analysis.
This paper investigated subtypes of individuals trained and instructed to malinger Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) through a cluster analysis of their Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) clinical and validity scales. Participants were 84 men and women college students at a community college in the southeastern United States. Two well fitting MMPI-2 cluster solutions were evaluated with discriminant analyses and multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVAs); a 2-cluster solution was deemed optimal. Significant between-cluster differences emerged in follow-up analyses on most of the content scales of the MMPI-2. Most demographic variables did not account for differences in cluster membership. Clusters differed in their reported clarity of the materials used to educate them about PTSD. Discriminant analyses yielded better correct classification rates than those from previous studies, when the more severely symptomatic cluster was compared with a sample of clinical combat-related PTSD veterans. Implications are considered in conducting future malingered PTSD investigations.
Adolescent↗
The detection of malingered posttraumatic stress disorder with MMPI-2 fake bad indices.
This investigation explored the effect of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) simulation on Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) responses, to detect malingered from genuine PTSD. Sixty-four adult PTSD outpatients at a child sexual abuse (CSA) survivor treatment program were compared with 85 adult college students instructed and trained to malinger PTSD. MMPI-2 overreporting indices examined were F, F-Fb, F-K, F(p), Ds2, O-S, OT, and FBS. A stepwise discriminant analysis identified F(p), F-K, and O-S as the best malingering predictors. A predictive discriminant analysis yielded good hit rates for the model, with impressive cross-validation results. Cutoff scores were assessed for the model's predictors. Clinical implications for detecting malingered PTSD using the MMPI-2 are discussed.
Adult↗
Relations between coercive strategies and MMPI-2 scale elevations among women survivors of childhood sexual abuse.
The relationship between coercion strategies used by perpetrators of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and elevations of CSA survivors on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) was investigated. Participants were 151 women survivors of CSA in outpatient treatment at a university-based community mental health center. Scores on the MMPI-2 clinical scales and the Keane posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) scale were examined. Main effects were found for promised or received rewards on several clinical scales and the PTSD scale of the MMPI-2, independent of the presence of force. Specifically, the presence of such rewards was associated with significantly higher levels of symptomatology on Paranoia (Pa), Psychasthenia (Pt), Schizophrenia (Sc), and PTSD (Pk). There were no main or interaction effects noted for the presence of actual or threatened force on any of the scales.
Adolescent↗
Clinical presentations of posttraumatic stress disorder across trauma populations: a comparison of MMPI-2 profiles of combat veterans and adult survivors of child sexual abuse.
This investigation examined differences in symptom patterns of two different trauma samples using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2). MMPI-2s of 122 male combat veterans seeking outpatient treatment for combat-related PTSD were compared with those of 64 PTSD-diagnosed adults seeking outpatient treatment for the effects of child sexual abuse (CSA). We examined variables related to degree of health concerns, depression, somatization, anger and hostility, masculine-feminine traits, paranoid ideation, anxiety, difficulties thinking and concentrating, elevated mood, and social introversion, as well as test-taking attitude. MANOVAs revealed between-group differences on several variables. However, when analyses controlled for the effect of age, nearly all differences disappeared; the only remaining difference was in a scale measuring anger. Thus, it appears CSA survivors and combat veterans are much more similar than different in their clinical presentation on the MMPI-2. Conceptual issues in the assessment of PTSD are discussed.
Adolescent↗
Cross-validation of the MMPI-2 in detecting malingered posttraumatic stress disorder.
We attempted to cross-validate findings from a previous study (Elhai, Gold, Sellers, & Dorfman, in press) using a clinical sample of combat-related war veterans to distinguish genuine from malingered posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on the MMPI-2 (Butcher, Dahlstrom, Graham, Tellegen, & Kaemmer, 1989). The MMPI-2 scores of 124 male combat war veterans at the PTSD outpatient treatment program of a Veterans Affairs Medical Center were compared with those of 84 adult college students instructed and trained to malinger PTSD. MMPI-2 overreporting variables examined were F, F-Fb, F-K, F(p), Ds2, O-S, OT, and FBS. A stepwise discriminant analysis identified F. F-Fb, F-K, Ds2, O-S, and OT as the best malingering predictors. A predictive discriminant analysis yielded good hit rates for the model with impressive cross-validation results. We assessed cutting scores for the predictors of the model. We discuss clinical implications for using the MMPI-2 to distinguish malingered PTSD from combat-related PTSD.
Adolescent↗
A comparison of psychological/psychiatric symptomatology of women and men sexually abused as children.
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to explore gender differences in symptomatology among sexual abuse survivors utilizing a standardized measure of specific symptom patterns, the Symptom Checklist 90-Revised (SCL-90-R). METHOD: Gender differences in symptomatology of adults sexually victimized as children were examined. Participants were 162 women and 25 men entering an outpatient treatment program for adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) in a university-based community mental health center. Symptomatology was measured using the Symptom Checklist 90-Revised (SCL-90-R). RESULTS: Although no differences appeared when examining the raw data, the results changed dramatically once the data were converted into T-scores and epidemiological SCL-90-R gender differences were taken into account. The findings indicate that men exhibited significantly more interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, and phobic anxiety than women in relation to their respective normative samples. CONCLUSIONS: The use of nonclinical T-scores in this study allows for the interpretation that men survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) have higher levels of symptomatology than women survivors when compared to their respective normative samples.
Adolescent↗
Abuse characteristics among childhood sexual abuse survivors in therapy: a gender comparison.
OBJECTIVE: The goal of this investigation was to examine similarities and differences in childhood sexual abuse (CSA) characteristics between men and women survivors in outpatient psychotherapy utilizing a substantial sample size of men, while examining an extensive range of abuse characteristics. METHOD: Abuse characteristics of 48 men from an outpatient treatment program for adult survivors of CSA in a university-based community mental health center were compared with those of 257 women from the same program. Data on abuse history were collected at admission or as soon thereafter as possible using a structured clinical interview with established reliability. RESULTS: Women were significantly more likely to have been sexually abused by a family member. Men were significantly more likely to report having oral sex performed upon them. Otherwise, no significant gender differences not attributable to anatomical differences (e.g., vaginal vs. anal intercourse) were found. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that very few differences exist in the nature and extent of CSA reported by men and women. Thus CSA perpetrated on boys appears largely comparable in nature and extent to that committed against girls.
Adolescent↗