Changes in M.P.I. Scores in Neurotic Patients: A Three Year Follow-up

Abstract

Do the relatively high N-scores observed in neurotic patients reflect a stable characteristic of the neurotic's personality, or are they temporary manifestations occurring only in the acute phase of the illness? Similarly, do the relatively low E-scores of dysthymic patients remain low through variations of clinical state or are they also temporary? The temporal stability of M.P.I. scores is of some practical importance. Criteria for psychiatric diagnosis often include assessments of personality before the illness. Fairly reliable information about this can often be obtained from relatives, but in other cases the clinician is faced with a problem that might appear insoluble. How is he to assess previous personality during an acute illness which may influence the behaviour on which personality is judged?