Recording of dissimulation and denial in the context of the psychosomatic evaluation at living kidney transplantation using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)

TY - JOUR

T1 - Recording of dissimulation and denial in the context of the psychosomatic evaluation at living kidney transplantation using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)

AU - Wutzler, Uwe

AU - Venner, Margit

AU - Villmann, Thomas

AU - Decker, Oliver

AU - Ott, Undine

AU - Steiner, Thomas

AU - Gumz, Antje

PY - 2009

Y1 - 2009

N2 - OBJECTIVE: Living organ donation involves interference with a healthy organism. Therefore, most transplantation centres ascertain the voluntariness of the donation as well as its motivation by means of a psychosomatic evaluation. The circumstance that the evaluation is compulsory and not a primary concern of the donor-recipient pair may occasion respondents to present only what they consider innocuous and socially adequate. Thus, the information value of the results can be considerably affected.METHODS: In the context of a psychosomatic evaluation prior to living kidney transplantation, 71 donor-recipient pairs were screened at the transplantation centre of Friedrich Schiller University, Jena. Using the validity scales of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) ("infrequency" (F), "lie" (L) and "correction-scales" (K)) and the Dissimulation Index according to Gough ("F-K"), we tried to find traits of dissimulation and denial.RESULTS: About 50% of the participants showed an infrequency raw score of zero. This means that at least half of the sample is apprehensive which may cause a cautious and controlled attitude towards the examination. The K-value (T>/=59) and the Dissimulation Index (F-KCONCLUSION: In the setup of the examination situation as well as in the interpretation of test-psychological findings, the occurrence and possible influence of dissimulation should be considered. The validity scale of the MMPI can help to obtain an objective clinical impression of dissimulation in problem cases.

AB - OBJECTIVE: Living organ donation involves interference with a healthy organism. Therefore, most transplantation centres ascertain the voluntariness of the donation as well as its motivation by means of a psychosomatic evaluation. The circumstance that the evaluation is compulsory and not a primary concern of the donor-recipient pair may occasion respondents to present only what they consider innocuous and socially adequate. Thus, the information value of the results can be considerably affected.METHODS: In the context of a psychosomatic evaluation prior to living kidney transplantation, 71 donor-recipient pairs were screened at the transplantation centre of Friedrich Schiller University, Jena. Using the validity scales of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) ("infrequency" (F), "lie" (L) and "correction-scales" (K)) and the Dissimulation Index according to Gough ("F-K"), we tried to find traits of dissimulation and denial.RESULTS: About 50% of the participants showed an infrequency raw score of zero. This means that at least half of the sample is apprehensive which may cause a cautious and controlled attitude towards the examination. The K-value (T>/=59) and the Dissimulation Index (F-KCONCLUSION: In the setup of the examination situation as well as in the interpretation of test-psychological findings, the occurrence and possible influence of dissimulation should be considered. The validity scale of the MMPI can help to obtain an objective clinical impression of dissimulation in problem cases.

U2 - 10.3205/psm000060

DO - 10.3205/psm000060

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

C2 - 19911073

VL - 6

SP - Doc04

JO - Psychosoc Med

JF - Psychosoc Med

SN - 1860-5214

ER -