Characteristics of Male Alcohol-Dependent Patients based on MMPI-2 Profile Typology

This study aimed to identify the clinical characteristics of male alcoholics using the MMPI-2 profile typology. Three types were found in a cluster analysis of the MMPI-2 scores (9 validity and 10 clinical scales) of 337 male patients admitted for alcohol-dependence. Type 1 (n= 143, 42.4%) showed a “defensive normal profile,” with all clinical scale scores falling within the normal range while having high scores on defensive scales (L/K/S) and low scores on infrequency scales (F/Fb/Fp/FBS). Type 2 (n= 136, 40.4%) was characterized as “psychopathic” with elevated Scale 4 (Pd) and Scale 2 (D). Type 3 (n= 58, 17.2%) suggested “severe psychological disturbance” with elevated scores on several clinical scales (D, Pd, Pa, Pt, Sc) and on infrequency scales. Among the substance abuse supplementary scales, only Addiction Admission Scale (AAS) significantly differed across the types. Based on these results, each type is discussed with implications for intervention.