Markers of Suicide Risk on the MMPI-3 Among Post-9/11 Veterans

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Military Psychology

Background:

• Post-9/11 U.S. military veteran suicide rates are alarmingly high.
• Accurate identification of suicide risk in veterans is a critical national concern.
• The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-3 (MMPI-3) is a potential tool for assessing this risk.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the utility of the MMPI-3, specifically the Suicidal/Death Ideation (SUI) scale, in assessing suicide risk among post-9/11 U.S. military veterans.
• To compare MMPI-3 profiles of veterans with varying histories of suicidal ideation and attempts.
• To examine the relationship between MMPI-3 scales and other measures of suicidality and psychopathology.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study of 189 post-9/11 veterans.
• Administration of the MMPI-3 and self-report measures of suicidality.
• Comparison of MMPI-3 profiles using one-way ANOVAs, focusing on the SUI scale and internalizing/externalizing psychopathology markers.

Main Results:

• The SUI scale demonstrated large effect sizes in differentiating veterans based on suicidal ideation and attempt history.
• Internalizing and externalizing psychopathology markers on the MMPI-3 also differentiated groups.
• Strong correlations were found between the MMPI-3 SUI scale and other suicidality measures (IDAS-II, SHI).

Conclusions:

• The MMPI-3, particularly the SUI scale, is clinically useful for comprehensive suicide risk assessment in post-9/11 veterans.
• MMPI-3 findings support its application in identifying veterans at risk for suicidal behaviors.
• Further research can refine the use of MMPI-3 in veteran mental health evaluations.