Millon’s Clinical Multiaxial Millon Inventory: how it works and what it contains

Theodore Millon's MCMI is a screening test for psychological disorders. Let's see how it works.

In psychological assessment there are many tests used and validated to assess both personality disorders and other pathological conditions, such as clinical syndromes or disorders (e.g. schizophrenia, depression, mania, etc.).

In this article we will learn about the Millon Multiaxial Clinical Multiaxial Inventory, specifically the MCMI-IIIalthough we will see how there are also earlier and later versions. This test evaluates personality disorders and clinical syndromes.

Millon Multiaxial Clinical Multiaxial Inventory: what does it evaluate?

The Millon Multiaxial Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (Millon MCMI-III) is, as its name suggests, a clinical inventory with multiple axes. Specifically, it has two axes: Axis I (encompasses different clinical syndromes of moderate and severe severity) and Axis II (includes basic and pathological personality scales). In addition, it also has psychometric scales.

It is a test for clinical use in adults, intended to assess personality disorders.It is a test for clinical use in adults, intended to assess personality disorders and different clinical syndromes (psychopathology).

Who was Theodore Millon?

Theodore Millon, the author of the Clinical Multiaxial Inventory, was an American psychologist and pioneer in personality research.. In addition, he is also the author of more than 30 books and 200 articles.

Millon was the first to use weighted averages, which established that not all factors had an equal influence on total scores. On the other hand, the construction of his tests was carried out through the combination of rational, empirical and factorial criteria.

Versions

Millon's inventories have always been coordinated with the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders).

In addition, the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory has been evolving, so we actually find up to 4 versions: the MCMI-I (coordinated with the DSM-III), the MCMI-II (coordinated with the DSM-III-R), the MCMI-III (coordinated with the DSM-IV) and finally the MCMI-IV.

In this article we will focus on the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory MCMI-III (i.e., the third version), as it is the best known and most widely used in recent years.

Features

The Millon Clinical Mutiaxial Inventory is intended for adults, has an administration time of 20 to 30 minutes and can be applied individually.. On the other hand, the design of this inventory implies that more importance is given to the most valid items.

In addition, T. Millon establishes the concept of the prime rate, applied when the syndromes are not distributed according to the normal curve.i.e. this concept makes syndromes and pathologies be distributed on the basis of epidemiological and theoretical studies.

Components

As we have seen, the Millon Multiaxial Clinical Inventory is divided into different components:

1. Axis I

This axis includes different clinical syndromes of moderate and severe severity..

Within the syndromes of moderate severity, we find:

• Anxiety.
• Hysteriform.
• Hypomania.
• Dysthymia.
• Alcohol abuse.
• Drug abuse.
• PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).

Y within the clinical syndromes of severe severitywe find three:

• Psychotic thinking.
• Major depression.
• Delusional disorder.

2. Axis II

Axis II of the Millon's Multiaxial Clinical Inventory includes the personality scaleswhich in turn are divided into two: basic scales and pathological scales.

The basic scales include the following personality types:

• Schizoid.
• Depressive.
• Phobic.
• Dependent.
• Histrionic.
• Narcissistic.
• Antisocial.
• Aggressive-Sadistic.
• Compulsive.
• Passive-Aggressive.
• Self-destructive.

Pathological personality scales include the following personalities:

• Schizotypal.
• Borderline.
• Paranoid.

3. Psychometric Scales

The psychometric scales of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory are as follows:

3.1. Validity

Detects mental confusion or extreme negativistic behavior.The Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory, are responses of extreme tendencies. It is made up of items with implausible but not absurd content (it is a random response scale).

Sincerity

Rate the extent to which patients try to be honest.It focuses on sincerity and openness, reflecting at one extreme the tendency not to be secretive and at the other the tendency to be reticent, ambiguous or reserved.

Desirability

Detects the desire to make a good impression, the desire to appear mentally healthy and socially virtuous.. It also includes people who deny being unattractive or who deny having any peculiar problems.

3.4. Alteration

This scale attempts to detect the tendency to degrade oneself, accentuate distress and exhibit emotional vulnerability on the part of the patient. on the part of the patient.