Search

Provides new American age norms for Raven's Progressive Matrices, based on screening of 500 vocational counseling and 2,992 psychiatric veteran patients newly admitted to hospital. Reliability data were acceptable, but indicated need for revision of the Raven. Within limits set by current reliability, validity data presented were positive. (Author/NRB)

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory profiles of Post-traumatic Stress Syndrome outpatients (N=30) and newly admitted random psychiatric inpatient veterans (N=30) were found to be practically identical and were consistent with diagnosis of schizophrenia, indicating the severity of delayed response to stress in Vietnam veterans. (NRB)

The article examines the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) test profiles, in relation with the Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSS), in Vietnam era veterans. A major unresolved problem is the difficulty of differentiating on the MMPI between manifestations of severe PTSS as opposed to psychosis, schizophrenia in particular. Good clinical practice requires that MMPI results be integrated with the results of carefully structured interviews and carefully structured histories for reaching psychodiagnostic conclusions, especially for combat veterans of the Vietnam conflict.

SUMMARY Three groups of patients on renal dialysis, largely veterans in VA Hospitals, were, by means of MMPI profiles, compared with one another, with a group of predialysis renal patients, one third of whom were veterans, and with Mayo Clinic general medical patients. There was remarkable similarity between the mean profiles of the renal patients, which reflected in Caldwell's view, a profound fear of death and of helplessness, and a sense of catastrophic loss of bodily functions--greater than that found in general medical patients. Data suggest that the East Orange renal dialysis group (N = 77), older, more variable, and longer on dialysis, manifested a greater sense of personal distress than was found in the other renal groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary MMPI Form R answer sheets of 222 successive black and white male inpatients referred for psychological testing in a VA general medical and surgical hospital were scored on the MacAndrew Alcoholism and the Cavior Heroin Addiction Scales. The MacAndrew Scale with 74% accuracy provided a practical screening device for identifying alcoholics. It did not significantly differentiate patients with a history of drug abuse from patients with a history of alcoholism. The Cavior He Scale was not so valid a screening device for identifying drug addicted patients in our total population. Each scale in a special way seems to be measuring a "general addictive propensity." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]