NOTE ON AN MMPI-2 SCALE OF EARLY SEXUAL ABUSE

The mean of 191 female psychiatric inpatients on the Griffith, Myers, and Tankersley (1996) MMPI-2 scale of childhood sexual abuse was compa red with means of 2 community samples (58 sexually abused women and 57 nonabused women). The mean of the patients was substantially larger t han that of the nonabused women but slightly larger than that of the a bused women. The scale may measure maladjustment or psychopathology in stead of, or in addition to, specific sequelae of sexual abuse. Furthe r investigation is necessary to cross-validate the scale in community samples and to examine whether scores differentiate abused and non-abu sed women iu clinical samples. This note illustrates use of an archiva l data set with results of recent research.