Relationship of MMPI-2-RC Demoralization scale to MCMI-III scales in psychiatric inpatients

Abstract

In 2003 (Tellegen, Ben-Porath, McNulty, Arbisi, Graham, & Kaemmer) the MMPI-2 RCd scale was developed to independently measure the MMPI ―factor one,‖ an inherent technical problem within the Clinical scales. The developers renamed this factor ―demoralization‖ after exploratory factor analyses were utilized to extract this dimension from the basic nine MMPI-2 scales, creating a separate demoralization scale known as the Restructured Clinical Demoralization scale (RCd). This study examined a sample of 440 adult psychiatric inpatients to determine the relationship of the MMPI-2 RCd scale with the MCMI-III scales to assess the degree to which it may measure demoralization. Exploratory principal axis factoring with promax rotations were conducted resulting in a four factor solution. RCd loaded moderately (0.48, 0.43) on two of the four factors, Factor I named demoralized affect and Factor II named demoralized social functioning. This study indicated the presence of demoralization among several of the MCMI-III scales and supported the multidimensionality of demoralization suggested within the literature.