MMPI-SCALES FOR DIAGNOSING ACUTE AND CHRONIC PTSD IN CIVILIANS

To develop new Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) scab s for diagnosing acute and chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD ), 237 civilians with PTSD or panic disorder (controls) completed the MMPI-R. All 399 items were submitted to chi-square analysis to select those differentiating acute or chronic PTSD from controls. The analyse s yielded an MMPI Acute PTSD scale (32 items) and a MMPI Chronic PTSD scale (41 items). Discriminating between acute PTSD and controls, the MMPI Acute PTSD scale had a hit rate of 83% and the MMPI Chronic PTSD scale produced a hit rate of 75% to 80%. Cross-validation produced sim ilar hit rates. These scales scores were not substantially influenced by gender or types of traumatic events, and only the MMPI Acute PTSD s cale seemed to not be sensitive to co-morbidity.