MMPI F-K index among hospitalized Vietnam veterans

The F‐K index of the MMPI has been used as a marker of symptom overreporting. One population for which previous research has shown this pattern is Vietnam in‐country veterans with PTSD. This study assessed the F‐K index on 515 inpatients: 329 Vietnam in‐country and 186 Vietnamera patients. Normative data on psychiatric inpatients were presented. Also, a special MMPI subscale (MMPI‐PTSD), a measure to identify PTSD among these veterans, was used. Results showed that all Vietnam veterans, especially in‐country veterans, overreport symptoms to a high degree. The overall mean for in‐country vets was 7.3. Also, when the special MMPI‐PTSD subscale was used, a vast majority of in‐country veterans who were in the PTSD range had high F‐K index scores. Dissimulation as a symptom of PTSD was discussed.