Identifying Subtypes of Women Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse: An MMPI-2 Cluster Analysis

Author(s)

Jon D. Elhai, Medical University of South Carolina
Jill M. Klotz Flitter, University of Minnesota Medical School
Steven N. Gold, Nova Southeastern UniversityFollow
Alfred H. Sellers, Nova Southeastern University

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-2001

Publication Title

Journal of Traumatic Stress

Volume

14

Issue/Number

1

First Page

157

ISSN

0894-9867

Last Page

175

Abstract/Excerpt

This paper investigated subtypes of women childhood sexual abuse (CSA) survivors through a cluster analysis of their Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) clinical and validity scales. Participants were 117 women in outpatient treatment for CSA aftereffects at a university-affiliated community mental health center. Three well-fitting MMPI-2 cluster solutions were evaluated with discriminant analyses and MANOVAs; a 5-cluster solution was deemed optimal. Follow-up analyses demonstrated significant between-cluster differences on the Impact of Event Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, Dissociative Experiences Scale, and nearly all Symptom Checklist-90-Revised subscales. No differences emerged when comparing clusters on the Family Environment Scale and their CSA characteristics. Implications were considered for research and clinical practice, using the MMPI-2 with CSA survivors.

DOI

10.1023/A:1007847901572

NSUWorks Citation

Elhai, J. D., Klotz Flitter, J. M., Gold, S. N., Sellers, A. H. (2001). Identifying Subtypes of Women Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse: An MMPI-2 Cluster Analysis. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 14(1), 157-175.
Available at: https://nsuworks.nova.edu/cps_facarticles/495