A comparison of sexually abused and nonsexually abused adolescents in a clinical treatment facility using the MMPI-A

Objective: In the current study, the adolescent version of the Minnesota Mu ltiphasic Personality Inventory, the MMPI-A, was used to address concerns v oiced about the mixing of different developmental ages, use of inadequate c omparison groups, and the lack of reliance on reliable and valid measures o f psychological, behavioral, and psychosocial problems used in previous stu dies of sexually abused children and adolescents. Method: A total of 107 adolescents in residential treatment (73 boys and 34 girls) were included in the study. Seventy-two of these adolescents had re portedly been sexually abused (42 boys and 30 girls); 35 had not been abuse d (31 boys and 4 girls). Predictions based on previous research with adoles cents were made and tested regarding which MMPI-A validity, clinical, and c ontent scales would differ between the sexually abused and non sexually abu sed groups of adolescents. Results: Overall, and consistent with many predictions, sexually abused ado lescents had both statistically and clinically higher elevations on several MMPI-A scales than did their non-abused counterparts. No scales were more elevated for non-abused adolescents than for abused adolescents. Conclusions: Sexually abused adolescents in residential treatment, as a gro up, present with concerns that their non-abused counterparts did not have, or did not share to the same extent. Treatment recommendations based on the MMPI-A scale elevations are provided, limitations of the current study dis cussed, and directions for further research are suggested. (C) 2000 Elsevie r Science Ltd.