Psychopathology and treatment outcome of drug dependent women in a perinatal program

Karen S Ingersoll1, Janet S Knisely, Kathryn S Dawson

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, Division of Addiction Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Box 980109, Richmond, VA 23298-0109, USA. kingerso@vcu.edu

Addictive Behaviors
|May 12, 2004
PubMed

One hundred and five drug-dependent women in outpatient perinatal addiction treatment were classified by cluster analysis of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) profiles into high and low psychopathology (HP and LP) groups that differed on three validation measures. The HP group (n=29, 27.6%) had elevations on MMPI-2 Scales F, 2, 4, 6, 7, and 8, while the LP group (n=76, 72.4%) generated a normal range profile with elevations on Scales F and 4. Psychological outcomes differed by group. HP participants showed reduced alcohol, family, and psychiatric severity, and reduced depressive symptoms, while LP subjects showed reduced drug, self-debasing, and acting-out problems. Data suggest the need for lower intensity services for the majority of the perinatal drug dependent population with LP.

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