Use of the Minnesota multiphasic personality inventory-2 to identify challenging-to-manage bariatric patients: Efforts to promote success in all patients

Purpose of the Study: Our goal was to determine if there was a difference in Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) scores between patients deemed challenging to manage (CM) by the bariatric team and those patients deemed not challenging to manage. Findings: Laparoscopic gastric bypass was performed on 154 patients. Of these, 123 had complete MMPI-2 results, yielding 110 valid profiles. Six of these 110 patients were deemed CM. Significant differences in mean scores of the groups appeared on six of eight validity scales (VRIN and F, Fb, Fp, K, and S) and two clinical scales (D and Pa). Principal Conclusions: The MMPI-2 could be used to predict which patients may be a challenge to manage postoperatively. In comparing cohorts, CM patients' scoring pattern indicates higher distress, depressed mood, hypersensitivity to perceived criticism, inadequate problem-solving skills, and poor coping skills. However, due to the small N, conclusions are preliminary.