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Drug dependence scale in the Millon Clinical Multiaxial inventory
P M Flynn1, J T McCann, J W Luckey
1National Development and Research Institutes, Raleigh, NC 27605, USA.
Substance Use & Misuse
|May 1, 1997
Summary
The Million Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-II drug dependence scale shows better diagnostic accuracy for identifying regular drug users when using prototypic item cutoffs compared to standard base rate cutoffs.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Psychometrics
- Addiction Medicine
Background:
- The Million Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI) is a widely used psychological assessment tool.
- Scale T-Drug Dependence within the MCMI-II is designed to identify drug use problems.
- Evaluating the diagnostic efficiency of this scale is crucial for accurate clinical assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the operating characteristics and diagnostic efficiency of the MCMI-II drug dependence scale.
- To compare the effectiveness of prototypic item cutoffs versus standard base rate cutoffs for identifying drug users.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of detailed drug use data from 659 known drug users.
- Examination of Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-II (MCMI-II) results.
- Calculation of operating characteristics: sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive power, and negative predictive power.
Main Results:
- Prototypic item cutoffs demonstrated superior diagnostic and positive predictive power compared to standard base rate cutoffs.
- The study assessed the scale's ability to identify regular drug users.
Conclusions:
- Prototypic item cutoffs offer a more effective method for utilizing the MCMI-II drug dependence scale.
- This finding can improve the accuracy of identifying individuals with drug use problems in clinical settings.