Clinical utility of the MMPI-2 Restructured Clinical (RC) Scales in therapeutic assessment: a case study

J Pers Assess. 2008 Mar;90(2):110-8. doi: 10.1080/00223890701845112.

Abstract

In the following article, we provide a case study on a 25-year-old man who was released from a crisis stabilization unit following a suicide attempt. After completing a diagnostic intake, the client participated in a Therapeutic Assessment (Finn, 1996, 2003), which included the MMPI-2 (Butcher et al., 2001) and the Incomplete Sentences Blank (Rotter & Rafferty, 1950). In particular, in the article, we focus on how the Restructured Clinical (RC; Tellegen et al., 2003) scales can be used to form a personological conceptualization of the client. The RC scales measure important personality and affective trait dimensions including demoralization and both positive and negative affect, which allows for a clear explanation of the underlying etiological factors that influence a client's negative emotional experience. In this article, we highlight how explaining these underlying personality characteristics to the client within the framework of therapeutic assessment allowed for an increase in his insight.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Humans
  • MMPI*
  • Male
  • Personality Assessment*
  • Suicide, Attempted / psychology*