Differences across service era in a Veterans Affairs assessment clinic: Observations from the Minnesota Multiphasic...

Area of Science:

• Psychological assessment
• Military psychology
• Veterans health

Background:

• Broadband personality measures like the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) are used in Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare.
• Research on military experiences' impact on MMPI scores is mixed, with concerns about generalizability from treatment-focused samples.
• Existing studies often sample from VA PTSD Clinical Teams, limiting broader applicability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare MMPI-2-Restructured Form scores across different military service eras in a diverse VA assessment sample.
• To investigate the influence of demographic factors (sex, service connection) on these differences.
• To provide insights into how service era may affect symptom profiles beyond PTSD.

Main Methods:

• Compared MMPI-2-Restructured Form validity and substantive scales in a sample of 356 VA participants.
• Controlled for demographic variables including sex and service connection.
• Utilized analysis of covariance to examine differences across substantive scales after excluding invalid protocols.

Main Results:

• Multivariate differences on validity scales were found only for infrequent psychopathology and specific scales (substance abuse, disconstraint-revised).
• Broader analyses revealed similarities in symptom experience between Vietnam and Gulf War veterans.
• Demographic factors were critical in understanding and contextualizing service era influences.

Conclusions:

• Despite some validity scale differences, Vietnam and Gulf veterans exhibit similar symptom profiles on the MMPI-2-RF.
• These findings suggest potential implications for treatment planning and organizational expectations within the VA.
• Demographic factors play a crucial role in interpreting the impact of military service era on psychological assessments.