The MCMI as a measure of DSM-III Axis II diagnoses: an empirical comparison.

This study compared MCMI and clinician Axis II diagnoses for DSM-III diagnostic categories. Subjects were 151 consecutively admitted inpatients at a private psychiatric hospital. The MCMI was administered to all subjects shortly after admission and shortly before discharge. MCMI diagnostic impressions for both admission and discharge then were compared to clinician diagnoses. Results indicated that the MCMI diagnosed Axis II disorders much more frequently than did clinicians. Agreement rates between the MCMI and clinicians were uniformly low across all categories except dependent personality. In addition, there was a relatively low degree of correspondence between MCMI admission diagnoses and MCMI discharge diagnoses. Implications of these results are discussed.