MMPI–2 Characteristics of Transsexuals Requesting Sex Reassignment: Comparison of Patients in Prehormonal and Presurgical Phases

To assess psychopathology in transsexuals at different phases of sex reassignment, we administered the Spanish adaptation of the MMPI–2 (Ávila-Espada & Jiménez-Gómez, 1999 Ávila-Espada, A. and Jiménez-Gómez, F. 1999. MMPI–2: Inventario Multifásico de Personalidad de Minnesota–2 [MMPI–2: Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–2: Manual for administration and scoring], Madrid, , Spain: TEA Ediciones. [Google Scholar]) to 107 male-to-female and 56 female-to-male transsexuals. Except for the Mf scale, mean T scores from the Clinical scales were within the normal range and did not differ between sexes. Male-to-female transsexuals seeking sex-reassignment hormonal therapy, but not female-to-male patients, scored significantly higher on the Depression, Hysteria, Psychopathic Deviate, Schizophrenia, and Social Introversion scales than patients seeking sex-reassignment surgery. The results show that the majority of patients were free of psychopathology. Transsexuals in the initial phases of sex reassignment may experience more distress than in later phases; however, these results are unlikely to reflect clinically relevant differences.