Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

The potential for faking on the Mississippi Scale for Combat-Related PTSD

Lyons, J.A. ; Caddell, J.M. ; Pittman, R.L. ; Rawls, R. and Perrin, S. LU orcid (1994) In Journal of Traumatic Stress 7(3). p.441-445
Abstract
The Mississippi Scale for Combat-Related PTSD is widely used in the assessment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The high face-validity of the scale may make it vulnerable to faking however. The present study found that the scores of individuals instructed to respond 'as if' they had PTSD did not differ from the scores of veterans with PTSD. Furthermore, although veterans who were diagnosed as having PTSD were found to have significantly higher Mississippi Scale scores than those who did not meet diagnostic criteria for PTSD, the mean score for all groups (veteran and non-veteran) exceeded the originally recommended diagnostic cut-off score of 107. A cut-off score of 121 was found to best differentiate veterans with PTSD from... (More)
The Mississippi Scale for Combat-Related PTSD is widely used in the assessment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The high face-validity of the scale may make it vulnerable to faking however. The present study found that the scores of individuals instructed to respond 'as if' they had PTSD did not differ from the scores of veterans with PTSD. Furthermore, although veterans who were diagnosed as having PTSD were found to have significantly higher Mississippi Scale scores than those who did not meet diagnostic criteria for PTSD, the mean score for all groups (veteran and non-veteran) exceeded the originally recommended diagnostic cut-off score of 107. A cut-off score of 121 was found to best differentiate veterans with PTSD from veterans who did not meet diagnostic criteria for the diagnosis, with high sensitivity but relatively low specificity. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
keywords
fabricated symptoms, malingering, Mississippi scale, PTSD assessment, adult, article, controlled study, human, major clinical study, male, posttraumatic stress disorder, rating scale, war
in
Journal of Traumatic Stress
volume
7
issue
3
pages
5 pages
publisher
John Wiley & Sons Inc.
external identifiers
  • scopus:0028061821
ISSN
0894-9867
DOI
10.1007/BF02102788
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
453238f6-2277-4897-ae62-bd64ec09ef5e
date added to LUP
2016-11-10 17:33:39
date last changed
2021-01-03 04:44:57
@article{453238f6-2277-4897-ae62-bd64ec09ef5e,
  abstract     = {{The Mississippi Scale for Combat-Related PTSD is widely used in the assessment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The high face-validity of the scale may make it vulnerable to faking however. The present study found that the scores of individuals instructed to respond 'as if' they had PTSD did not differ from the scores of veterans with PTSD. Furthermore, although veterans who were diagnosed as having PTSD were found to have significantly higher Mississippi Scale scores than those who did not meet diagnostic criteria for PTSD, the mean score for all groups (veteran and non-veteran) exceeded the originally recommended diagnostic cut-off score of 107. A cut-off score of 121 was found to best differentiate veterans with PTSD from veterans who did not meet diagnostic criteria for the diagnosis, with high sensitivity but relatively low specificity.}},
  author       = {{Lyons, J.A. and Caddell, J.M. and Pittman, R.L. and Rawls, R. and Perrin, S.}},
  issn         = {{0894-9867}},
  keywords     = {{fabricated symptoms; malingering; Mississippi scale; PTSD assessment; adult; article; controlled study; human; major clinical study; male; posttraumatic stress disorder; rating scale; war}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{11}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{441--445}},
  publisher    = {{John Wiley & Sons Inc.}},
  series       = {{Journal of Traumatic Stress}},
  title        = {{The potential for faking on the Mississippi Scale for Combat-Related PTSD}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/16808578/Lyons_et_al_1994_Potential_faking_on_Mississippi_Scale_for_combat_PTSD.pdf}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/BF02102788}},
  volume       = {{7}},
  year         = {{1994}},
}