What does the MMPI dependency scale really measure?

Examined the mean DY score of various clinical and nonclinical groups (N = 855). It was significantly higher for females, whether patients or nonpatients; nonpatients with a high total score and high scores on several subscales of the Crown Crisp Experiential Index of neurotic symptomatology; psychiatric patients in general; patients and nonpatients with a high modified Zung depression score; neurotic as opposed to endogenous depressives; suicide attemptors, especially non-serious ones; Ss with early bereavement or separation particularly if followed by poor replacement care; Ss with poor quality marriages and husband dominant marriages as measured by the Ryle Marital Patterns Test. The DY Scale relates directly with the PT and D Scales and inversely with the Do Scale. Separation of the test items into those that were and were not predominantly depressive revealed that most, though not all, significant associations were due to the depressive component, which it was suggested should be markedly diminished.