The present study evaluated the presence of DSM-IV personality disorders among young adults from a nonclinical setting who produced an MMPI 2-7-8 profile in comparison to a group of MMPI-defined controls. Categorical and dimensional analyses of personality disorders were evaluated. Participants in the 2-7-8 group (n = 20) received significantly more personality disorder diagnoses than did controls (n = 29), and 85% of these individuals received at least one Cluster A (Paranoid, Schizoid, Schizotypal) diagnosis in contrast to only 6.9% of controls (categorical analysis). The 2-7-8 group also received significantly more Cluster A diagnoses than Cluster B or C diagnoses. When dimensional analyses were applied (subclinical diagnoses), 95% of the 2-7-8 group evidenced Cluster A features. Comorbidity patterns were also evaluated; the most frequent comorbid diagnosis for the 2-7-8 group was Avoidant Personality Disorder (n = 8), consistent with Meehl's (1962, 1989, 1990) conceptualization of schizotypy. These results support the use of the MMPI 2-7-8 profile as an indicator of schizophrenia-related pathology within nonclinical samples of young adults.
American Psychiatric Association
. (1980). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (3rd ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
2.
American Psychiatric Association
. (1987). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (3rd ed., rev.). Washington, DC: Author.
3.
American Psychiatric Association
. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
4.
Balogh, D. W.
, Merritt, R. D., Lennington, L., Fine, M., & Wood, J. (1993). Variants of the MMPI 2-7-8 code type: Schizotypal correlates of high point 2, 7, or 8. Journal of Personality Assessment, 61, 474-488.
5.
Battaglia, M.
, Cavallini, M. C., Macciardi, F., & Bellodi, L. (1997). The structure of DSM-III-R Schizotypal Personality Disorder diagnosed by direct interviews. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 23, 83-92.
6.
Bentall, R. P.
, Claridge, G. S., & Slade, P. D. (1989). The multidimensional nature of schizotypal traits: A factor analytic study with normal subjects. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 28, 363-375.
7.
Bergman, A. J.
, Harvey, P. D., Motroppoulou, V., Aronson, A., Marder, D., Silverman, J., Trestman, R., & Siever, L. J. (1996). The factor structure of schizotypal symptoms in a clinical population. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 22, 501-509.
8.
Chapman, L. J.
, Chapman, J. P., & Miller, E. N. (1982). Reliabilities and intercorrelations of eight measures of proneness to psychosis. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 50, 187-195.
9.
Edell, W. S.
(1987). Relationship of borderline syndrome disorders to early schizophrenia on the MMPI. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 43, 163-176.
10.
Farmer, A. E.
, McGuffin, P., & Gottesman, I. I. (1987). Twin concordance for DSM-III schizophrenia: Scrutinizing the validity of the definition. Archives of General Psychiatry, 44, 634-641.
11.
Fine, H. K.
(1973). Studying schizophrenia outside the psychiatric setting. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 2, 291-301.
12.
Fujioka, T. A. T.
, & Chapman, L. J. (1984). Comparison of the 2-7-8 MMPI profile and the Perceptual Aberration-Magical Ideation Scale in identifying hypothetically psychosis-prone college students. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 52, 458-467.
13.
Gilberstadt, H.
, & Duker, J. (1960). Case history correlates of three MMPI profile types. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 24, 361-367.
14.
Gildberstadt, H.
, & Duker, J. (1965). A handbook for clinical and actuarial MMPI interpretation. Philadelphia: W. G. Saunders.
15.
Gottesman, I. I.
(1991). Schizophrenia genesis. New York: Freeman.
16.
Haier, R. J.
, Rieder, R. O., Khouri, P. J., & Buchsbaum, M. S. (1979). Extreme MMPI scores and the Research Diagnostic Criteria: Screening college men for psychopathology. Archives of General Psychiatry, 36, 528-534.
17.
Hathaway, S. R.
, & McKinley, J. C. (1940). A multiphasic personality schedule (Minnesota): I. Construction of the schedule. Journal of Psychology, 10, 249-254.
18.
Hathaway, S. R.
, & Meehl, P. E. (1951). An atlas for the clinical use of the MMPI. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
19.
Kelley, C. K.
, & King, G. D. (1979). Behavioral correlates of the 2-7-8 MMPI profile type in students at a university mental health center. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 47, 679-685.
20.
Kelley, C. K.
, & King, G. D. (1980). Two-and three-point classification of MMPI profiles in which scales 2, 7, and 8 are the highest elevations. Journal of Personality Assessment, 44, 25-33.
21.
Kendler, K. S.
, & Gruenberg, A. M. (1984). An independent analysis of the Copenhagen sample of the Danish Adoption Study of Schizophrenia: VI. The relationship between psychiatric disorders as defined by DSM-III in the relatives and adoptees. Archives of General Psychiatry, 41, 555-564.
22.
Kendler, K. S.
, & Hewitt, J. (1992). The structure of selfreport schizotypy in twins. Journal of Personality Disorders, 6, 1-17.
23.
Kendler, K. S.
, Neale, M. C., & Walsh, D. (1995). Evaluating the spectrum concept of schizophrenia in the Roscommon Family Study. American Journal of Psychiatry, 152, 749-754.
24.
Kendler, K. S.
, Ochs, A. L., Gorman, A. M., Hewitt, J. K., Ross, D. E., & Mirsky, A. (1991). The structure of schizotypy: A pilot multitrait twin study. Psychiatric Research, 36,19-36.
25.
Koh, S. D.
, Kayton, L., & Berry, R. (1973). Mnemonic organization in young nonpsychotic schizophrenics. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 81, 288-310.
26.
Kotsaftis, J.
, & Neale, J. M. (1993). Schizotypal Personality Disorder I: The clinical syndrome. Clinical Psychology Review, 13, 451-472.
27.
Lachar, D.
(1974). The MMPI: Clinical assessment and automated interpretation. Los Angeles, CA: Western Psychological Services.
28.
Marks, P.A.
, & Seeman, W. (1963). The acturial descriptions of abnormal personality. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins.
29.
Marks, P. A.
, Seeman, W., & Haller, D. (1974). The actuarial use of the MMPI with adolescents and adults. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins.
30.
Meehl, P.
(1962). Schizotaxia, schizotypy, and schizophrenia. American Psychologist, 17, 827-838.
31.
Meehl, P. E.
(1989). Schizotaxia revisited. Archives of General Psychiatry, 46, 935-955.
32.
Meehl, P. E.
(1990). Toward an integrated theory of schizotaxia, schizotypy, and schizophrenia. Journal of Personality Disorders, 4, 1-99.
33.
Moldin, S. O.
, Gottesman, I. I., & Erlenmeyer-Kimling, L. (1987). Searching for the psychometric boundaries of schizophrenia: Evidence from the New York High-Risk Study. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 96, 354-363.
34.
Morey, L. C.
(1988). Personality disorders in DSM-III and DSM-III-R: Convergence, coverage, and internal consistency. American Journal of Psychiatry, 145, 573-577.
35.
Morey, L. C.
, & Smith, M. R. (1988). Personality disorders. In R. Greene (Ed.), The MMPI: Use with specific populations. Philadelphia: Grune & Stratton.
36.
Morey, L.
, Waugh, M., & Blashfield, R. (1985). MMPI scales for DSM-III personality disorders: Their derivation and correlates. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49, 245-251.
37.
Nurnberg, H. G.
, Raskin, M., Levine, P. E., Pollack, S., Siegel, O., & Prince, R. (1991). The comorbidity of Borderline Personality Disorder and other DSM-III-R Axis II personality disorders. American Journal of Psychiatry, 148, 1371-1377.
38.
Parnas, J.
, Cannon, T. D., Jacobsen, B., Schulsinger, H., Schulsinger, F., & Mednick, S. A. (1993). Lifetime DSM-III- R diagnostic outcomes in the offspring of schizophrenic mothers: Results from the Copenhagen High Risk Study. Archives of General Psychiatry, 50, 707-714.
39.
Peterson, D. R.
(1954). The diagnosis of subclinical schizophrenia. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 18, 198-200.
40.
Pfohl, B.
, Blum, N., & Zimmerman, M. (1994). Structured interview for DSM-IV personality (SIDP-IV). Iowa City: University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.
41.
Roth, R. M.
, & Baribeau, J. (1997). Gender and schizotypal personality features. Personality and Individual Differences, 22, 411-416.
42.
Serper, M. R.
, Bernstien, D. P., Maurer, G., Harvey, P. H., Horvath, T., Klar, H., Coccaro, E. F., & Siever, L. J. (1993). Psychological test profiles of patients with Borderline and Schizotypal Personality Disorders: Implications for DSM-IV. Journal of Personality Disorders, 7, 144-154.
43.
Spitzer, R. L.
, Endicott, J., & Robbins, E. (1978). Research Diagnostic Criteria: Rationale and reliability. Archives of General Psychiatry, 35, 773-782.
44.
Spitzer, R. L.
, Williams,J. B. W., Gibbon, M., & First, M. B. (1990). User's guide for the structured clinical interview for DSM-III-R SCID. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press.
45.
Torgersen, S.
, Onstad, S., Skre, I., Edvardsen, J., & Kringlen, E. (1993). "True" schizotypal personality disorder: A study of co-twins and relatives of schizophrenic probands. AmericanJournal of Psychiatry, 150, 1661-1667.
46.
Venables, P. H.
, & Bailes, K. (1994). The structure of schizotypy, its relation to subdiagnoses of schizophrenia and to sex and age. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 33, 277-294.
47.
Vollema, M. G.
, & van den Bosch, R.J. (1995). The multidimensionality of schizotypy. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 21, 19-31.
48.
Walters, G. D.
(1983). The MMPI and schizophrenia: A review. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 9, 226-246.
49.
Walters, G. D.
(1988). Schizophrenia. In R. Greene (Ed.), The MMPI: Use with specific populations (pp. 50-73). Philadelphia: Grune & Stratton.
50.
Widiger, T. A.
(1989). The categorical distinction between personality and affective disorders. Journal of Personality Disorders, 3, 77-91.
51.
Widiger, T. A.
(1990). Schizotypy: Theory and commen-tary. Journal of Personality Disorders, 4, 106-110.
52.
Widiger, T. A.
, & Rogers, J. H. (1989). Prevalence and comorbidity of personality disorders. Psychiatric Annals, 19, 132-136.
53.
Zimmerman, M.
, & Coryell, W. (1989). DSM-III personality disorder diagnoses in a nonpatient sample: Demographic correlates and comorbidity. Archives of General Psychiatry, 46, 682-689.
