The MMPI and adolescent patients in a state hospital

Because of the increasing number of adolescents being admitted to state hospitals and because of the lack of sufficient information regarding the use of the MMPI with these patients, this study was undertaken in order to provide normative data for the MMPI with this particular clinical population. The subjects were 113 male and 97 female psychiatric patients from the Adolescent Unit (AU) at Rusk State Hospital (RSH). As each patient was admitted to the AU, he was scheduled for psychological testing, with the MMPI being a part of this testing. The results indicate that, with this particular psychiatric population, background variables had no significant relationship to MMPI performance. The validity scales were characterized by an extremely elevated F scale for males and females, while male and female performance on the clinical scales showed elevation (above T score of 70) on the Pd and Sc scales. In conclusion, it seems that the most outstanding characteristic of young state hospital patients on the MMPI is extreme elevation on the Pd and Sc scales and the F scale. In interpreting the MMPI, it would seem necessary then to reevaluate the meaning being associated with these scales, especially the F scale, when dealing with this particular psychiatric population.