MMPI assessment of psychopathology in the adopted-away offspring of schizophrenics.

Previous studies completed in Denmark show a higher frequency of schizophrenia-related psychopathology in the adopted offspring of schizophrenics than in matched controls. This study adds a psychometric dimension to the earlier reports with an analysis of psychopathology in the adopted offspring of schizophrenics based on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). A combination of MMPI criteria and interview-based diagnosis identifies 22% of the index cases and 6% of the control cases (P less than .01) as having a schizophrenia spectrum disorder. The findings support a genetic hypothesis, but the use of the MMPI does not fully clarify some issues raised in the earlier reports.