M.A. / Violence being a prominent and invasive factor in South Africa has left many people feeling powerless, hopeless and incapable of dealing and coping with the effects that exposure to trauma has produced. This idea appears even more disturbing if one considers that military personnel will inevitably be exposed to some form of trauma in their employment history. As a result of this traumatic exposure, many people develop post traumatic stress disorder or symptoms thereof. The literature ind icates that certain variables may increase vulnerability for the development of this disorder. The purpose of this research was to evaluate whether or not there is a relationship between Post Traumatic Stress (PTS) symptoms and axis II personality traits using Millon’s Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI - III) as a measure. The results of which will have major implications for our understanding of PTS, as well as aid in the deployment of military personnel. The sample comprised 5853 military personnel who completed the MCMI III as part of a yearly project to determine their mental health status. Inferential and descriptive statistical analyses were used on the data. It was found, in accordance with previous literature findings, that narcissistic, antisocial and borderline personality styles are the best predictors of PTS. In addition, the study found that there is a significant relationship between PTS and various personality styles, namely depressive, schizotypal, borderline, passive -aggressive, compulsive, antisocial and narcissistic personality styles. It is recommended that if the MCMI-III is used to scan military personnel prior to combat, those with high scores on borderline, narcissistic and antisocial personality scales, should be subjected to a more in-depth evaluation.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T15:38:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 HanniaRRPR_DISSERT.pdf: 2137181 bytes, checksum: ae4af965fe56dad2f3f8c2d06548931d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-05-23 / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior / Millon describes the normal personality by means of adaptation styles that are effective in normal environments and personality disorders such as unadapted operating styles. To operacionalize his theoretical model, Millon has built several instruments, including the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory III (MCMI-III), wich consists of a self report inventory composed by 175 true or false response items, containing four verification scales, and others scales wich evaluates 14 personality patterns and 10 clinical syndromes. The Substance Dependence scale (T) is placed along with Clinical Syndromes scales. This research is justified by the lack of a Brazilian instrument to assess personality psychopathological aspects, and aims to translate and semantically adapt the MCMI-III to the Brazilian context, checking validity elements of the Substance Dependence scale, and developing a computer application for assisting the evaluation of assessment results. To this intent, 2.588 individuals data was collected, male and female, aged between 18 and 85 years, characterized as belonging to a clinical or non-clinical group, who took part in the survey via the internet or in person. Respondents completed the MCMI-III, a socio-demographic questionnaire and a subgroup also answered to the Goldberg General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). Besides descriptive statistics, we performed the analysis using the Student t test, principal components analysis and internal consistency. Despite difficulties related to translating very specific English terms, the assessment by judges, experts on Millon?s theory, and the back translation, attested the adequacy of the Brazilian version. Factorial analysis indicated the grouping of translated T scale items into three factors (social activities prejudice, lack of impulse control, and oppositional behavior), by presenting a single item on a fourth factor (apparently related to seeking pleasurable stimuli). The Cronbach alpha for this set of items was 0,82, indicating an acceptable scale reliability. The data analysis resulted in distinction of scores between clinical and non-clinical groups and between men and women; the relationship between high scores on the scale T and the other scales; scores of drug users according to the declared used substance; and the relationship between high scores on T and the verification of disorder or risk on GHQ mental health factor, indicating the instrument?s adequate sensistivity in identifying psychopathologies and the relationship between the different disorders or psychopathological personality patterns. Although further studies are necessary to develop the scores transformation factors, the computerized correction tool was adequate. / Millon descreve a personalidade normal em termos de estilos de adapta??o que s?o eficazes em meios normais e transtornos de personalidade como os estilos de funcionamento desadaptados. Para operacionalizar seu modelo te?rico, Millon construiu diversos instrumentos, entre eles o Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory III (MCMI-III), que consiste num invent?rio de auto-relato de 175 itens com resposta falso ou verdadeiro, que avalia 14 padr?es de personalidade e 10 s?ndromes cl?nicas, al?m de conter 4 escalas de verifica??o. Entre as escalas de S?ndromes Cl?nicas encontra-se a escala de Depend?ncia de Subst?ncia (T). A presente pesquisa justifica-se pela inexist?ncia de instrumentos no pa?s que avaliem os aspectos psicopatol?gicos da personalidade, e tem como objetivos traduzir e adaptar semanticamente o MCMI-III para o Brasil, verificando elementos de validade da escala de Depend?ncia de Subst?ncias, e elaborar um aplicativo informatizado que assessore a avalia??o dos resultados desse instrumento. Para tal, foram coletados dados junto a 2.588 pessoas, dos sexos masculino e feminino, com idades entre 18 e 85 anos, caracterizados como pertencentes a um grupo cl?nico ou n?o-cl?nico, que participaram da pesquisa presencialmente ou via internet. Os participantes responderam ao MCMI-III, a um question?rio s?cio-demogr?fico e um subgrupo tamb?m respondeu ao Question?rio de Sa?de Geral de Goldberg (QSG). Al?m das estat?sticas descritivas, foram efetuadas an?lises por meio do teste t de Student, an?lises de componentes principais e de consist?ncia interna. Apesar de dificuldades relacionadas ? tradu??o de termos muito espec?ficos da l?ngua inglesa, a avalia??o por ju?zes conhecedores da teoria de Millon e o procedimento de back translation atestaram a adequa??o da vers?o brasileira. A an?lise fatorial indicou o agrupamento dos itens da escala T em 3 fatores (comprometimento das atividades sociais, aus?ncia de controle dos impulsos e condutas opositivas), com a apresenta??o de um item isolado em um quarto fator (aparentemente relacionado ? busca de est?mulos prazerosos). O alfa de Cronbach para este grupo de itens foi de 0,82, indicando aceit?vel confiabilidade da escala. A an?lise dos dados obtidos resultou em diferencia??o nas pontua??es de grupos cl?nico e n?o cl?nico e entre homens e mulheres; rela??o entre pontua??es altas na escala T com as demais escalas do instrumento; diferencia??o nas pontua??es dos usu?rios de drogas de acordo com a subst?ncia declarada como utilizada; e rela??o entre as altas pontua??es em T e a verifica??o de dist?rbio ou risco no fator Sa?de Geral do QSG, indicando adequada sensibilidade do instrumento na identifica??o de quadros psicopatol?gicos e na rela??o entre os diferentes transtornos ou padr?es psicopatol?gicos de personalidade. O aplicativo de corre??o informatizado se mostrou adequado, embora ainda sejam necess?rios estudos para o desenvolvimento dos fatores de transforma??o dos escores

The purpose of the present study was to study the relationship of MCMI-III clinical scales with MMPI-2 clusters in a chronic pain population. Data was obtained through assessment data (N = 242) from the Dallas Spinal Rehabilitation Center (DSRC), that included MMPI-2 and MCMI-III, as well as pre-and post-assessment information (n = 21) and follow-up questionnaires (n = 19). Subjects' age ranged from 18 to 64. Each patient had a primary diagnosis related to a back and/or a cervical injury, a chronic pain diagnosis, and often medical prescription dependency and/or addition. Each has experienced back pain in the lumbar region (L1 to L5) or cervical region (C1 to C7) for an average of 32 months. Patients with thoracic (mid-spine) and carpal tunnel pain were excluded from this study. A multivariate cluster analysis procedure was performed that yielded 3 homogeneous female MMPI-2 clusters and 4 MMPI-2 homogeneous male clusters. Seven multiple regression analyses were performed to determine which MCMI-III clinical scales predicted cluster membership in the MMPI-2 clusters. Results indicated that MCMI-III clinical scales "7" Compulsive, "X" Validity and "C" Borderline were predictors for membership in the male MMPI-2 clusters. Membership in the female MMPI-2 clusters were predicted by MCMI-III clinical scales "4" Histrionic, "T" Drug Dependence and "2A" Avoidant. Nineteen pre-and post-MCMI-IIIs were analyzed for change after participants completed the six-week pain management program. Paired-sample t-tests were performed on these data and revealed that significant change was noted on 10 MCMI-III clinical scales. Follow-up data questionnaires were available on these same individuals. Results from a correlation analysis indicated that patients who reported having supportive relationships with their spouse and family and a secure source of income report better quality of sleep, better mood, are able to relax and are believe that they are able to manage their pain. Participants who were able to relax and remain calm report better quality of sleep, exercise frequently, report better quality of mood and believe that they will return to work soon. Findings from this study suggest that rather than using the MCMI-III as a diagnostic tool, a more efficient use of this instrument would be to understand maladaptive coping styles that may be present under stressful situations. This study's findings suggest that pain treatment program staff could utilize follow up information, as well as diagnostic information about coping strategies that might appear under stress, to shape interventions. Future research might focus on investigation of factors that predict both improvement and program failure, especially those present at initial intake.

Ce mémoire a pour objectif l'identification de profils de personnalité distincts au sein d'un échantillon de 105 délinquants sexuels évalués en période présententielle au moyend e l’Inventaire Clinique Multiaxial de Millon-II (MCMI-II). Une analyse de regroupement multivariée de type k-means est appliquée aux échelles de personnalité du MCMI-II. Lesclasses repérées à l'aide de cette procédure confirment l'hétérogénéité de la population et reproduisent les résultats obtenus par une procédure de regroupement de nature plus clinique. Trois profils d'agresseurs se dégagent de l’analyse : le profil contenu, le profil antisocial-colérique et le profil de rapprochement-évitement. Ces classes de sujets se distinguent significativement sur 22 des 26 échelles du test et sur quelques variables externes de type sociodémographique et criminologique. Une présentation de soistratégique incarnée dans une exagération de symptômes est repérable chez le profil antisocial-colérique, alors que le profil contenu démontre surtout de la désirabilité sociale. Le profil de rapprochement-évitement manifeste à la fois les deux modes de présentation stratégique. En somme, cette étude démontre l'utilité potentielle du MCMI-II à la création d'une typologie de délinquants sexuels évalués en période présententielle

The experience of complex childhood trauma produces a ripple-effect that psychologically impacts trauma survivors’ functioning in multiple areas. The aim of the current study was to investigate and describe the interplay between complex trauma, subsequent personality development and later psychopathology by means of the multiple case study method of six female psychiatric patients attending treatment at a tertiary psychiatric hospital within Gauteng, South Africa. This was accomplished by assessing and qualitatively analysing the results of a carefully selected battery of personality and other psychometric assessments presented to study participants. The results indicated that the experience of complex childhood trauma impacted the study participants’ personality in predictable ways, which further influenced the psychopathology they displayed as psychiatric patients. These findings aid in describing the psychological impact of complex trauma on the research participants, and also offers support for reconnecting past traumas to the current psychopathologies of psychiatric patients. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)