Examined three groups of Vietnam Veterans (N=90) for frequency of symptoms typical of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a diagnostic category in DSM III. Results supported the validity of PTSD by indicating that the groups that experienced a traumatic event reported more symptoms than the group that did not. (BH)

Matched 31 elderly normals and 25 patients with suspected Alzheimer's disease for age and education and administered the Revised Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS-R). Results showed that the patient group performed significantly less well than the control group on all WMS-R subtests. (Author/LLL)

Cluster analysis and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory were used together to determine whether heterogeneous diagnostic groups could be identified in an inpatient psychiatric population. Comparison of four clustering techniques showed cluster analysis to be a poor diagnostic discriminator when compared to diagnostic groups. (NRB)

Compared the standard MMPI and MMPI-168 scores of 90 male delinquent adolescents. Raw score and T-score correlations were high and within acceptable limits, which indicates that MMPI-168 scores are useful with delinquent adolescents. However, two-point codetypes derived from standard MMPIs and MMPI-168s were in agreement less than half the time.…

Presents findings on relationship of childhood firestarting and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder (DSM-III) diagnosis in representative sample of child psychiatric outpatients (N=204). Childhood firesetting and DSM-III diagnosis of conduct disorder were strongly related; they showed significant interaction with lessened…

Surveys empirical literature pertaining to phobias of blood, injury, or illness (BII); defines BII phobia as selectively associated with vasovagal fainting response upon exposure to phobic stimuli. Presents clinical, demographic, and etiological information from 15 BII phobics and suggests that BII phobia warrants diagnostic category separate from…

Presents a case study which illustrates the difficulties surrounding the diagnosis and placement of autistic children. Demonstrates the importance of independent mediation and professional assessment and examines free appropriate public education in the context of Board of Education of the Hendrick Hudson Central School District vs. Rowley (1982).…

Investigated the clinical utility of the McVaugh and Grow (1983) criteria for faking in the Personality Inventory for Children (PIC) in children (N=100). Results showed that profiles exceeding the fake bad criterion were found in 35 percent of the cases, but only one profile met fake good criteria. (LLL)

Investigated the reliability and validity of the methods used to measure primary versus secondary alcoholism and claimed childhood symptoms of hyperkinesis/minimal brain dysfunction (Hk/MBD) in three separate studies (N=45), (N=53), (N=38). Results supported the Primary/Secondary Classification Questionnaire and the Hk/MBD Childhood Symptoms…

Found substantial support for DSM-III's criteria for Post-Traumatic Stress using 405 Vietnam combat veterans and suggested that depression and anger be included as major signs. A comparison of symptom intensity between Vietnam veterans and non-Vietnam veterans showed Vietnam veterans experienced significantly greater intensities of DSM-III…

Examined opinions of normal subjects (N=120) and patients diagnosed as manic and schizophrenic (N=150) regarding Ellis's 11 irrational beliefs. Results showed that the schizophrenia and major depressive groups endorsed three and four irrational beliefs respectively with no endorsement from the normal and manic groups. (LLL)

Compared six Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) short forms with the full-length MMPI for ability to identify code-types and indices of psychopathology in renal dialysis patients (N=53) and paranoid schizophrenics (N=58). Results suggested that the accuracy of the short forms fluctuates for different patient populations and…

Tested traditional clinical hypotheses about the cognitive functioning of individuals (N=16) with an obsessive or an hysteric style in a nonpathological population. Results supported the likelihood that nonpathological forms of the two styles display patterns of cognitive functioning similar to those of their more pathological counterparts. (LLL)

Studied diagnostic efficiency of trait version of Depression Adjective Check Lists (DACL) in two-phase investigation that involved two psychiatric patient samples (n=308 and n=67). Cutting scores developed on first sample were cross-validated successfully on second sample. DACL compared favorably in diagnostic efficiency with Beck Depression…

Results of correlation studies of 141 adult epileptics' scores on the Background Interference Procedure (BIP) indicated that the BIP often does not agree with abnormal neurological diagnoses but often does agree with psychiatric diagnoses of Organic Brain Syndrome (OBS). Suggests that future BIP validity studies include a behavioral measure of OBS…