MCMI and the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory

MCMI or Millon

How might a Millon (MCMI) be useful as part of a full battery assessment? What types of pathology would be illuminated by using this tool? What are the limits of this assessment?

The Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI-III) was created for the purpose of diagnosing personality disorders and Axis I major disorders. It is built upon a multiaxial model of mental illness in which personality characteristics and traits interact with clinical symptoms of other serious mental disorders (Vaknin 2009). It is designed to present a broad-based picture of the test-taker's psychology and can be useful in highlighting areas of interest to a therapist in a relatively short period of time. The questions in the MCMI-III reflect the diagnostic criteria of the DSM-IV, and can also be useful in structuring a formalized report of mental health status that can be easily interpreted by other clinicians.

However, like all diagnostic typologies, the classification system of the MCMI offers only a rough portrayal of an individual's psychology and provides few specific details about the present circumstances or the past of the person being tested. It also does not suggest a course of treatment that is suitable for the subject and what types of drugs and therapies will be most helpful for the individual beyond his or her clinical diagnosis.

The MCMI-III consists of 24 clinical scales and 3 modifier scales. The modifier scales are meant to identify the subject's attempts to hide or exaggerate mental illness, or to either try too hard to mimic or ignore socially desirable responses. The Clinical Personality Patterns scales involve the major DSM personality disorders and the last ten scales reflect Axis I and other severe clinical syndromes. This enables a therapist to immediately identify the most potentially serious aspects of a client's pathology that need to be addressed (Vaknin 2009).