ABSTRACT
As noted in previous chapters, adolescent MMPI-A responses should be interpreted exclusively through the use of age-appropriate adolescent norms. The conclusion that adolescent norm conversion is the most appropriate means of interpreting adolescent responses does not imply that such a procedure renders the evaluation of MMPI-A profiles either simple or straightforward. The most important difficulties that occur when interpreting adolescent responses scored on adolescent norms is that the resulting profiles typically produce subclinical elevations, even for adolescents in inpatient psychiatric settings if a T-score value of 65 or above is employed as the criterion for determining clinical-range elevation. The inherent contradiction in interpreting a normal-range profile for an adolescent who exhibited evidence of serious psychopathology probably contributed to the inappropriate but widespread practice of using adult norms for adolescents on the original version of the MMPI. Thus, just as the application of adult norms to adolescent patterns tends to produce profiles that grossly overemphasize or exaggerate psychiatric symptomatology, so the application of adolescent norms, either on the original version of the MMPI or the MMPI-A, produces profiles that often appear to underestimate an adolescent’s psychopathology.
