Predictive Validity of the MMPI among Chronic Pain Patients

The objectives of this study were to (1) determine the frequency of the MMPI profile types identified by Marks and Seeman (1963) among chronic pain patients, and (2) determine the predictive validity of the profile types found. One thousand, six hundred and seven valid MMPIs from chronic pain patients seen at a multidisciplinary pain center for possible inpatient treatment were categorized into the profile types developed by Marks and Seeman (1963). The most common profile types were: 482/842/824, 31/ 13, 321, 89/98, 231/213 and Normal K+. The most frequent “spike” profiles were: spike 1, spike 2, and spike 3. To determine the predictive validity of the MMPI profile types, patients with each profile were compared with all other patients on demographic and pain-related measures using chi-square tests for dichotomous variables, and t-tests for continuous variables. The results indicated significant differences between patients with different profile types on a number of measures. The results provide a preliminary empirical guide for determining the correlates of MMPI profile types among chronic pain patients. The specific descriptive characteristics of each profile type are presented.