The use of the minnesota multiphasic personality inventory-2 in the psychological assessment of persons with TBI: Correction factors and other clinical caveats and conundrums

The MMPI-2 serves an integral role in a comprehensive psychological evaluat ion of persons with traumatic brain injury because it provides clinically r elevant information regarding the presence of psychiatric illness, adaptati on to the injury, and potential interpersonal strengths or liabilities that may impact the rehabilitative process. Importantly, the MMPI-2 provides cr itical information regarding the accuracy of patient self-report and the te ndency to either exaggerate or minimize symptoms. However, the MMPI-2 conta ins items that are directly related to the cognitive sequalae of brain inju ry. As a result, concerns have been raised regarding the appropriateness of the MMPI-2 for use with brain injured patients. We discuss evidence that s upports the use of the MMPI-2 with brain-injured patients and the concerns over the applicability of the MMPI-2 in this population. Further, we critic ally discuss recently proposed strategies to correct the MMPI-2 for neurolo gically related items (NRI) in brain injured populations in terms of the cl inical application of such procedures, the benefits and limitations of such procedures, and the need for further refinement and validation of these co rrection factors.