MMPI MMPI-2 CRITICAL ITEMS FOR PANIC SYMPTOMS

Fifteen psychologists selected MMPI items that they considered to be face-valid indicators of the presence of panic symptoms. The 15 items selected by at least 60% of the clinicians were empirically validated through Chi-square analyses. Item response frequencies were contrasted for 60 Panic Disordered patients, 60 demographically matched psychiatric controls, and the normative sample of MMPI-2. Each of the 15 items differentiated panic patients from normal controls (p < 0.0001), and 8 items also differentiated panic patients from outpatient psychiatric controls. In addition, the panic disordered patients (PDPs) and psychiatric controls (PCs) significantly differed on a preliminary content scale comprised of these 15 items. Although PDPs and PCs were administered the original MMPI, all critical items also appear on the MMPI-2, thereby increasing the potential utility of this critical item set.