Clinical presentations of posttraumatic stress disorder across trauma populations - A comparison of MMPI-2 profiles of combat veterans and adult survivors of child sexual abuse

This investigation examined differences in symptom patterns of two differen t trauma samples using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (M MPI-2). MMPI-2s of 122 male combat veterans seeking outpatient treatment fo r combat-related PTSD were compared with those of 64 PTSD-diagnosed adults seeking outpatient treatment for the effects of child sexual abuse (CSA). W e examined variables related to degree of health concerns, depression, soma tization, anger and hostility, masculine-feminine traits, paranoid ideation , anxiety, difficulties thinking and concentrating, elevated mood, and soci al introversion, as well as test-taking attitude. MANOVAs revealed between- group differences on several variables. However, when analyses controlled f or the effect of age, nearly all differences disappeared; the only remainin g difference was in a scale measuring anger. Thus, it appears CSA survivors and combat veterans are much more similar than different in their clinical presentation on the MMPI-2. Conceptual issues in the assessment of PTSD ar e discussed.