The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) Hysteria (Hy) scale: scoring bodily concern and psychological denial subscales in chronic back pain patients.

Chronic back pain patients were compared to two nonpain comparison groups on Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) Hysteria (Hy) scores and scores on two Hy subscales: Bodily Concern and Psychological Denial. Pain subjects had significantly higher scores on the Bodily Concern Subscale and lower scores on the Psychological Denial Subscale than nonpain subjects with similar elevated Hy scores. However, pain subjects had Psychological Denial scores similar to those of subjects with normal MMPI profiles, despite significantly higher Hy scores. These findings are interpreted to support the hypothesis that, among pain patients, Hy elevations are partially accounted for by the endorsement of a disproportionate number of Bodily Concern items. Finally, within pain patients, scores on the Bodily Concern subscale were significantly related to more indices of pain duration and severity than were scores on the Psychological Denial subscale. The potential clinical utility of scoring these subscales is discussed.