The use of contemporary MMPI norms in the study of chronic pain patients.

In a previous study, Ahles et al. [1] compared the MMPI results of primary fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis and non-pain control participants. The purpose of the present study was to reanalyze the original data using the contemporary norms of Colligan et al. [5]. The reanalysis revealed that the pattern of group differences remained the same; however, the number of primary fibromyalgia patients classified as 'psychologically disturbed' was appreciably reduced. These data have clinical relevance in that the incidence of psychopathology in chronic pain patients may be overestimated because of the use of outdated norms. Additionally the data have theoretical relevance in that a large number of patients who present with pain in the absence of a known organic pathology do not present evidence of psychopathology.