There are contradictory findings regarding the use of the MMPI to discriminate between patients with organic and functional pain. The MMPI was administered to patients, 43 with organic and 39 with functional pain, at a university hospital pain clinic. Multivariate analyses were nonsignificant, strongly suggesting that the clinical usefulness of this scale to differentiate between patients with organic and functional pain is highly questionable.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
ArchibaldH. C.Referred pain in headache. California Medicine, 1977, 82, 196–197.
2.
BarronF.An ego strength scale which predicts response to psychotherapy. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 1953, 17, 327–333.
3.
BealsR. K.HickmanN. W.Industrial injuries of the back and extremities. Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, 1972, 54-A, 1593–1611.
4.
BonicaJ. J.General clinical consideration. In BonicaJ. J.ProcacceC. A.PagniC. A. (Eds.), Recent advances on pain. Springfield, IL: Thomas, 1974. Pp. 274–298.
5.
CaldwellA. B.ChaseC.Diagnosis and treatment of personality factors in chronic low back pain. Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, 1977, 129, 141–149.
6.
CalsynD. A.LoursJ.FreemanC. W.The use of the MMPI with chronic low back pain patients with a mixed diagnosis. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 1976, 32, 532–536.
7.
CalsynD. A.SpenglerD. M.FreemanC. W.Application of the somatization factor of the MMPI-168 with low back pain patients. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 1977, 22, 1017–1021.
8.
CarrJ. E.BrownsbergerC. N.RutherfordR.Characteristics of symptom-matched psychogenic and real pain patients of the MMPI. Proceedings of the 74th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, 1966, 2, 215–216.
9.
DahlstromW. G.Prediction of adjustment after neurosurgery. American Psychologist, 1954, 9, 353.
10.
EngelG. L.Psychogenic pain and the pain-prone patient. American Journal of Medicine, 1959, 26, 899–918.
11.
FreemanC.CalsynD.LouksJ.The use of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory with low back pain patients. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 1976, 32, 294–298.
12.
GilberstadtH.JancisM.Organic vs. “functional” diagnosis from 1–3 or 3–1 MMPI profiles. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 1962, 18, 146–147.
13.
GoughH. G.Simulated patterns on the MMPI. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 1947, 42, 215–225.
14.
HanvikL. J.MMPI profiles in patients with low-back pain. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 1951, 11, 350–353.
15.
HolmesH. E.RothmanR. H.The Pennsylvania Plan: an algorithm for the management of lumbar degenerative disc disease. Spine, 1979, 4, 156–162.
16.
LairC. V.TrappE. P.The differential diagnostic value of MMPI with somatically disturbed patients. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 1962, 18, 146–147.
17.
MarutaT.SwansonD.SwansonW.Pain as a psychiatric symptom: comparison between low back pain and depression. Psychosomatics, 1976, 17, 123–127.
18.
McCrearyC.TurnerJ.DawsonE.Differences between functional vs. organic low back pain patients. Pain, 1977, 4, 73–78.
19.
MelzakR.The puzzle of pain. New York: Basic Books, 1973.
20.
MurrayJ. B.Psychology of the pain experience. Journal of Psychology, 1971, 78, 193–206.
21.
Pepitone-RockwellF.RosenblattR.CorkillG.Pain clinic model for community practice. Western Journal of Medicine, 1979, 131, 166–170.
22.
PichotP.PerseJ.LekeouxM. O.DureauJ. L.PerezC. I.RychawaertA.La personalite des sujets presentant des douleurs dorsales fonctionnelles valeur de l'inventaire multiphasique de personnalite du Minnesota. Revue de Psychologie Applique, 1972, 22, 226–229.
23.
RosenC. R.FrymoyerJ. W.ClementsJ. H.A further look at validity of the MMPI with low back patients. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 1980, 36, 994–1000.
24.
SarnoJ.Psychosomatic backache. Journal of Family Practice, 1977, 5, 353–357.
25.
SpenglerD. M.FreemanC. W.Patient selection of lumbar discectomy: an objective approach. Spine, 1979, 4, 129–134.
26.
SternbachR. A.WolfS. R.MurphyR. W.AkesonW. H.Traits of pain patients: the low back “loser.”Psychosomatics, 1973, 14, 226–229.
27.
TowneW. S.TsushimaW. T.The use of the low back and dorsal scales in the identification of functional low back patients. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 1978, 34, 88–91.
28.
TsushimaW. T.TowneW. S.Clinical limitations of the low back scale. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 1979, 35, 306–308.
29.
WiltseW. T.RocchioP. D.Preoperative psychological tests as predictors of success of chemonucleolysis in the treatment of the low-back syndrome. Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, 1975, 57-A, 473–478.
