Cross-validation of the MMPI-2 in detecting malingered posttraumatic stress disorder

We attempted to cross-validate findings from a previous study (Elhai, Gold, Sellers, & Dorfman, in press) using a clinical sample of combat-related wa r veterans to distinguish genuine from malingered posttraumatic stress diso rder (PTSD) on the MMPI-2 (Butcher, Dahlstrom, Graham, Tellegen, & Kaemmer, 1989). The MMPI-2 scores of 124 male combat war veterans at the PTSD outpa tient treatment program of a Veterans Affairs Medical Center were compared with those of 84 adult college students instructed and trained to malinger PTSD. MMPI-2 overreporting variables examined were F, \F-Fb\, F-K, F(p), DS 2, O-S, OT, and FBS. A stepwise discriminant analysis identified F, \F-Fb\, F-K; Ds(2), O-S, and OT as the best malingering predictors. A predictive d iscriminant analysis yielded good hit rates for the model with impressive c ross-validation results. We assessed cutting scores for the predictors of t he model. We discuss clinical implications for using the MMPI-2 to distingu ish malingered PTSD from combat-related PTSD.