The Relationship of MMPI–2–RF Scales to Treatment Engagement and Alliance

Abstract

Clients’ personality characteristics can be important correlates of treatment engagement and alliance. The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–2–Restructured Form (MMPI–2–RF) is one of the most comprehensive and widely used personality measures in clinical settings and includes measures of symptom validity. A few prior studies using the MMPI–2 and MMPI–2–RF suggest that externalizing characteristics and the validity scales might be associated with treatment engagement, but no studies to date have examined MMPI correlates of treatment alliance. This study examined the relationship of MMPI–2–RF scales to treatment engagement and alliance in 134 individuals seeking outpatient treatment at a psychology department training clinic. It was predicted that validity scales and externalizing scales would be related to treatment engagement (premature termination, no-show rate) and to alliance. Contrary to expectations, MMPI–2–RF validity scales were not related to premature termination but high scores on F-r were related to higher no-show rates and high scores on Symptom Validity (FBS-r) were related to lower alliance. As predicted, higher scores on scales assessing externalizing psychopathology were related to premature termination and higher no-show rate. Exploratory analyses also suggested higher scores on somatic and interpersonal scales were related to lower alliance. Accuracy statistics using clinical cutoffs on MMPI scales are provided.