The effect of personality pathology on treatment outcome for Axis I disorders in dysfunctional clergy

The relationship between Narcissistic, Compulsive, Dependent, and Antisocial personality traits, as measured by the MCMI-III, and the clinical presentation and the treatment outcome for Axis I disorders, as measured by the MMPI-II was investigated. The subjects were 86 Roman Catholic priests and nuns who participated in 6 to 8 months of residential treatment. Pretreatment evaluation of the patients included the MCMI-III and the MMPI-2. Clinical presentation of Axis I disorders was measured by pretreatment scores on MMPI scales 2 (Depression), 7 (Psychasthenia), content scale DEP (Depression), and content scale ANX (Anxiety). Treatment outcome was measured by posttreatment MMPI-2 scores on these four variables. The results of this study suggest that the level of personality traits a patient possesses can significantly impact the clinical presentation of an Axis I disorder. Although the 48 patients with MCMI-III base rate scores above 74 had significantly higher pretreatment MMPI-2 scores than the patients with lower MCMI-III scores, both groups obtained posttreatment MMPI scores well within normal limits. The intensive individual and group therapy, extended length of stay, and emphasis on community living that the residential program provides may account for these results.