Minnesota multiphasic personality inventory profile of patients with allergic rhinitis

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between allergic rhinitis and personality traits in a nonpsychiatric population of proven allergic status. Subjects were assigned to the allergic group (n = 29) and the nonallergic group (n = 29) on the basis of the medical examination, allergic prick tests, and self-reported allergic status. Analysis of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory Profile (MMPI) profiles showed that male subjects with allergic rhinitis had significantly higher scores on depression, paranoia, and social introversion. Depression, hypochondriasis, and hysteria scores were significantly higher in female subjects. It may be concluded that patients with allergic rhinitis have poorer psychological function compared with the nonallergic subjects.