MMPI-A patterns related to the endorsement of suicidal ideation

This study focused on the relationship between the occurrence of specific M innesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Adolescent (MMPI-A) basic scale profile patterns and the frequency of endorsement of three items related, i n varying degrees, to suicide ideation (MMPI-A Items 177, 283, and 399). Th e research sample consisted of adolescents (n = 348) with diagnoses of depr ession, conduct disorder, and other psychiatric disorders. Significant rela tionships were found for the overall MMPI-A basic scale profile, several MM PI-A single scale high points, and specific two-point codetype groupings. F indings revealed higher basic clinical scale profiles for those adolescents endorsing suicidal ideation. Further results revealed lower frequencies of item endorsement for spike 4 and spike 9 profiles, and higher item endorse ment frequencies for Scale 2, Scale 8, and for the two-point codetypes of 4 -8/8-4, 8-9/9-8 and 6-8/8-6. Issues are discussed related to the clinical u sefulness and limitations of the MMPI-A in the assessment and prediction of suicidal ideation and behavior in adolescents.