MMPI and drug treatment in alcohol withdrawal

Thirty-four inpatients in a mild phase of alcohol withdrawal, exhibiting anxious and depressive symptoms, were administered an MMPI before and immediately after a 4-week drug treatment period. A double-blind design was used; 17 patients were treated with chlordiazepoxide and 17, with thioridazine. The pretreatment MMPI profile was typical of alcoholic patients; namely, peaks on scales 4 and 2. After the fourth week, the MMPI indicated that thioridazine was significantly more effective than chlordizaepoxide. Decreases in 7 of the 10 clinical scales averaged 7.29 T-score points, whereas only scale 6 was significantly decreased for the patients treated with chlordiazepoxide.