Psychiatric and emotional variables in the multi-center trial to evaluate the epidemiology, natural history, and treatment response of Hepatitis C in the United States veteran population
This study examined the MMPI-2 Clinical Scale profiles of 43 United States Veteran patients with Viral Hepatitis C. These patients completed the MMPI-2 prior to beginning therapy with a combination of interferon and Ribavirin, the only approved treatments for Hepatitis C that are also known to cause or exacerbate emotional and psychiatric disturbance, including depression and suicidality. Significant mean differences were found between the Veteran Hepatitis C patient group and MMPI-2 normative population on the Hypochondriasis, Depression, Hysteria, Psychopathic Deviate, Psychasthenia, Schizophrenia, and Mania Clinical Scales. These findings suggest that, even before beginning treatment, patients with Hepatitis C do not resemble the MMPI-2 reference group, and scored significantly higher than those of men in the MMPI-2 Normative group on all but one Clinical Scale. Statistical comparisons were also made between this patient group and a control group of Veteran medical patients who were seronegative for Hepatitis C, as well as a non-Veteran group of patients who were also seropositive for Hepatitis C. Significant mean differences were found between the Veteran Hepatitis C patient group and Veteran control group on MMPI-2 Hypochondriasis, Psychopathic Deviate, and Schizophrenia scales. Significant differences also emerged between the Veteran Hepatitis C group and the non-Veterans Hepatitis C comparison group on MMPI-2 Hypochondriasis, Depression, Psychopathic Deviate, Psychesthenia, and Schizophrenia scales. These findings support previous research that questions the appropriateness of using the MMPI-2 as a screening tool for medical procedures or treatments that may be adversely impacted by, or have adverse consequences for personality, psychological, or emotional functioning, despite its efficiency and objectivity. This question becomes imperative when considering the possibility of denying patients the only medical treatment available to them. Additional analyses compared MMPI-2 Clinical scales of Veteran patients with Hepatitis C to those of patients with other chronic diseases, and Veterans with Hepatitis C who did versus did not present with a history of psychiatric treatment. Fourteen patients experienced first-time onset of psychiatric symptoms after beginning Rebetron therapy. Overwhelmingly, treatment with Rebetron was not successful in reducing viral Hepatitis C load to undetectable levels and maintaining seronegativity up to six months after treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved)
https://www.upress.umn.edu/test-division/bibliography/2000-2009/2005/davis_psychiatric_2005
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Daniel P Davis
(2005)
Psychiatric and emotional variables in the multi-center trial to evaluate the epidemiology, natural history, and treatment response of Hepatitis C in the United States veteran population
PhD thesis.