An MMPI Study of a Group of Wives of Alcoholics

Abstract

Current literature dealing with the personality characteristics of wives of alcoholics was based largely on observation of wives who were seen in conjunction with their husband''s treatment or in dealing with economic or social problems of the family. The present study represents an attempt at broadening the sample of wives of alcoholics by measuring personality characteristics of wives motivated to join Al-Anon, a voluntary group for families of alcoholics organized along the same lines as Alcoholics Anonymous. The subjects were 43 wives of alcoholics representing 75% of the active membership of 2 Al-Anon groups who volunteered to participate in the study. The control group consisted of 30 women volunteers from hospital personnel, volunteer groups, and women''s clubs who were married to nonalcoholics. The 2 groups were matched in mean age, income and educational level. The group form of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory was administered and mean t scores were compared for the 2 groups on the 9 clinical scales and 4 validating scales. The mean values of the control and experimental groups scores were within the normal range for each scale. The Al-Anon group scored significantly higher (within the normal range) on the Hysteria, Depression, Schizophrenia (all significant at the .05 level) and Hypomania (significant at the .02 level) scales. Neither control nor experimental group profiles showed a pattern of dominant mean scores on the three scales which constitute the neurotic triad. The results bring into question the widely accepted characterization of wives of alcoholics as severely neurotic, disturbed and poorly integrated. Al-Anon groups may show the behavior patterns measured by the hysteria, depression, schizophrenia and hypomania scales to a greater extent than the group of women married to nonalcoholics, although not to a degree indicative of marked neurotic or disturbed behavior.