Assessing DSM-5 Section II Personality Disorders Using the MMPI-2-RF in an Iranian Community Sample

The aim of the current study was to examine the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF; Ben-Porath & Tellegen, 2008) scales in assessing Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fifth edition (DSM-5) Section II Personality Disorder (PD) symptoms. For this purpose, we first tested the cross-cultural factorial and criterion validity of MMPI-2-RF scales. We used a sample of 536 (327 women and 209 men) community individuals in Tehran, Iran. DSM-5 Section II PD criterion counts were assessed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5-Screening Personality Questionnaire. Exploratory structural equation modelling analyses revealed that the models reported by Ben-Porath and Tellegen generally fitted the data well. Criterion validity of the MMPI-2-RF scales as well as MMPI-2-RF PDs spectra scales were analyzed with respect to their correlations with DSM-5 Section II PDs, indicating results generally consistent with expectations. Results based on Poisson or Negative binomial regression models indicated that a set of MMPI-2-RF scale hypotheses were supported, with several exceptions that are discussed in detail. These findings have implications for applicability of the MMPI-2-RF across Iranian population.