MMPI Comparisons of Hispanic- and White-American Veterans Seeking Treatment for Alcoholism

Abstract

Scores of 29 Hispanic- and 46 white-American alcoholics, who voluntarily sought psychiatric treatment for their alcoholism, were compared on the MMPI. It was hypothesized that Hispanic-American alcoholics would be better adjusted than white alcoholics on the validity and clinical scales of the MMPI. The hypothesis was supported, with Hispanic-Americans obtaining significantly lower scores than white veterans on the Pd, Mf, and Si scales. Hispanic and white patients did not differ on the remaining MMPI scales. The mean two-point code for Hispanic subjects was 2–8 (Depression-Schizophrenia) and for white patients 8-2 (Schizophrenia-Depression).