MENTAL-HEALTH PROFESSIONALS SKEPTICISM ABOUT MULTIPLE PERSONALITY-DISORDER

Three studies were conducted to investigate the nature of mental healt h professionals' skepticism regarding multiple personality disorder (M PD). An initial pilot study was conducted to develop a psychometricall y sound survey instrument. In Study 2, the results of a national surve y of 207 mental health professionals supported the hypothesis that ske pticism and knowledge about MPD are inversely related, r = -.33, p < . 01, although the strength of this relationship varied among profession s. Moderate to extreme skepticism was expressed by 24% of the sample. Results from Study 3 supported the hypotheses that MPD is diagnosed wi th less accuracy than is schizophrenia and that misdiagnosis of MPD is predicted by skepticism about MPD. Findings are related to literature pertaining to mental health professionals' skepticism about MPD and c onsequential effects on treatment.