Citation

Perrin S, Van Hasselt VB, Hersen M. Violence Vict. 1997; 12(1): 99-104.

Affiliation

Center for Psychological, Studies Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1997, Springer Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

9360291

Abstract

The Keane, Malloy, & Fairbank (1984) MMPI-PTSD Scale has proven to be a reliable and valid measure of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in combat veterans. However, few studies have examined the MMPI-PTSD Scale's validity in civilian trauma victims, including battered women. In the present study, 46 battered women who completed the MMPI-PTSD Scale were assigned to PTSD-Positive and PTSD-Negative groups based on a structured diagnostic interview and then contrasted on the MMPI-PTSD Scale. Significantly higher scores on the scale were found in the PTSD-Positive group. Also, a cutoff score of 22 on the MMPI-PTSD Scale correctly classified 80.4% of the sample. Correlations between the MMPI-PTSD and DSM-III-R criteria suggest that the scale is moderately sensitive to many of the symptoms particularly those involving intrusion and psychological arousal, comprising the diagnosis of PTSD. This investigation provides further support for the validity of the MMPI-PTSD Scale and its utility in screening battered women for PTSD.

Language: en