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A scale for the evaluation of psychological distress
Author(s) -
McLachlan John F. C.
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
journal of clinical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.124
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1097-4679
pISSN - 0021-9762
DOI - 10.1002/1097-4679(197701)33:1+<159::aid-jclp2270330134>3.0.co;2-g
Subject(s) - minnesota multiphasic personality inventory , psychology , psychological distress , clinical psychology , anxiety , distress , psychological testing , personality test , scale (ratio) , psychometrics , psychiatry , personality , test validity , social psychology , physics , quantum mechanics
A state measure of psychological distress (DI) was developed from the MMPI item pool. The DI scale was found to be reliable (internally consistent and stable) and to be unaffected by social desirability. MMPI measures of stress and an anxiety measure external to the MMPI were found to correlate well with the DI scale. The alcoholic S s of this study were found to experience greater psychological distress than medical patients at the Mayo Clinic. Moreover, females (both alcoholics and medical patients) scored higher in psychological distress than did males.