Using MMPI‐A profiles to predict success in a military‐style residential treatment program for adolescents with academic and conduct problems

Military‐style residential treatment for adolescents with academic and conduct problems is an increasingly popular alternative to traditional school‐based services. However, dropout from “boot camp” programs is a primary reason for their high cost. Social‐emotional functioning before referral may differentiate adolescents who successfully complete these programs from those who withdraw. Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory‐Adolescent (MMPI‐A; Butcher et al., 1992) responses of 225 adolescents (16–18 years) with histories of truancy and antisocial behavior were subjected to profile analysis prior to participation in a 22‐week, military‐style treatment program. Elevations on the F (Frequency), 1 (Hs), and 3 (Hy) scales differentiated adolescents who dropped out of these programs from those who graduated. Logistic regression showed prediction accuracy to be 75%. School psychologists may use MMPI‐A profiles, especially the 1/3 code type, to screen boot camp candidates, maximize adolescents' likelihood of success, and reduce costs due to attrition. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 41: 563–574, 2004.