Low MMPI Diagnostic Performance for the DSM-III-R Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder

Abstract

This study investigated the diagnostic performance of the MMPI validity and clinical scales, and especially of Scale 7 (Pt), for the DSM-III—R obsessive-compulsive personality disorder by comparing the MMPI variables for 24 obsessive-compulsive with those for 58 nonobsessive-compulsive inpatients. Both groups were diagnosed by semistructured interview (SCID-II). The obsessive-compulsive group obtained for the mean MMPI profile a 2-(6-l) (D-Pa-Hs) code, with a tendency for a lowered Scale 4 (Pd) score, compared to the nonobsessive-compulsive group. Neither the ROC analysis of the individual MMPI scales, including Scale 7 (Pt), nor the analyses of frequency of two-point codes and elevated (T>69) scales showed any clear indications of good diagnostic performance for the DSM-III—R obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.

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