Personality patterns of drug abusers as shown by MMPI profiles

MMPI and 16 PF patterns of a group of drug abusers who were participating in a voluntary VA Drug Abuse Program were investigated. The MMPI profiles of 91 male veterans who ranged in age from 18-45 years were classified according to two-point code types. A comparison was made of the most frequently occurring code types among drug abusers, medical patients, and psychiatric patients. The two modal profile types among drug abusers were the 4-9/9-4 and the 2-4/4-2, which accounted for 32% of the sample. An additional comparison between the two modal types and responses to the 16 PF was made. Results indicate a closer resemblance to psychiatric patients than to medical patients, and the variety of high point code types is discussed. The similarity between the present sample of modal code types with research on drug abusers undertaken 20 years previously also is discussed.