RESUMO
A correlational study that included 82 male inpatient alcoholics was conducted to determine the clinical meaning of the Keane PTSD Scale of the MMPI. The PTSD Scale was correlated with the variables of the Shipley Institute of Living Scale, the Life Purpose Questionnaire, the Existential Depression Test, and the standard MMPI measures, plus the A, R, Es and MacAndrew Scales. The pattern of correlations suggested that the PTSD scale measures general psychological maladjustment and dysphoric feelings rather than any specifiable syndrome. The strong correlation with the Welch A, which measures a general level of maladjustment, suggests that the PTSD and Welch A scales are measuring the same factor. The PTSD scale, therefore, appears to provide very little information about this population beyond that available from the overall clinical profile and the Welch A scale.
