Comparison of the MMPI-PTSD subscale with PTSD and substance abuse patient populations

War-related PTSD frequently presents as a dual disorder. Questions have been raised about whether the MMPI-PTSD subscale developed by Keane, Malloy, and Fairbank (1984) is identifying a separate PTSD syndrome or is a measure of generalized distress common to various diagnostic categories, including substance abuse. In this study, veterans with PTSD with and without substance abuse were compared to veterans with substance abuse only on the MMPI-PTSD subscale (n = 22 in each of the four categories). Results support the ability of the test to distinguish between groups of veterans with PTSD and those with substance abuse only. The findings lend indirect support to the validity of a distinct PTSD symptom cluster.