Psychiatry Investig.  2021 Jan;18(1):19-30. 10.30773/pi.2020.0044.

Clinical and Psychological Characteristics of Young Men with Military Adaptation Issues Referred for a Psychiatric Evaluation in South Korea: Latent Profile Analysis of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 and Temperament and Character Inventory

• Lim AY
• Park SM
• Shin E
• Lee JY
• Choi JS
• Jung HY

• KMID: 2511576
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.30773/pi.2020.0044

Abstract

Objective
To investigate clinical and psychological characteristics of young men referred for a psychiatric evaluation due to expected unsuitability for military service and identify their heterogeneous subgroups based on the profiles of MMPI-2 and TCI.
Methods
We conducted a latent profile analysis of 348 men using MMPI-2 and TCI and then a comparative analysis of four latent classes in relation to sociodemographic, clinical, and IQ variables.
Results
We identified four classes with distinct clinical and psychological features: Class 1 (nonclinical: n=68), Class 2 (internalized: n=129), Class 3 (externalized: n=60), Class 4 (confused: n=91). Class 1 showed no significant psychiatric symptoms and relatively adaptive temperament and characteristics. Class 2 showed relatively higher harm avoidance and introverted traits indicating vulnerability to internalizing disorder. Class 3 was related to higher novelty seeking, impulsivity, and bipolarity. Class 4 showed the most severe clinical symptoms including psychotic experiences with extremely unstable temperament and immature personality. In total, 50–70% participants reported clinically significant depression, anxiety, and suicidal idea. Participants showed lower processing speed index (M=85.9, SD=16.6) than the general population.
Conclusion
The results suggest that clinical conceptualization and therapeutic intervention considering distinctive features of young men with adaptive problems related to military service are needed.

Keyword

Military service, Adaptation, LPA, MMPI-2, TCI