MMPI-3 Psychopathological Profiles in Iranian Patients with Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND

Somatic symptom and related disorders are characterized by persistent physical symptoms accompanied by psychological distress, functional impairment, and complex patterns of emotional and cognitive vulnerability. Although these disorders are clinically important, multidimensional psychopathological profiling with contemporary instruments remains limited in Middle Eastern populations. This study aimed to characterize the MMPI-3 psychopathological profile of Iranian patients with somatic symptom and related disorders.

METHODS

Using convenience sampling, this cross-sectional study included 120 patients diagnosed with somatic symptom and related disorders according to DSM-5 criteria at Imam Khomeini Hospital, Sari, Iran, between May and September 2024. Participants completed the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-3. MMPI-3 T-scores were compared with the normative mean of 50 using one-sample t-tests. Cohen's d effect sizes were calculated, and domain-wise Bonferroni correction was applied.

RESULTS

Patients showed the largest elevations in Anxiety (mean T-score = 62.71, d = 0.99), Anger Proneness (mean T-score = 58.63, d = 0.96), Low Positive Emotions (mean T-score = 59.26, d = 0.87), Somatic Complaints (mean T-score = 61.03, d = 0.86), Fearfulness (mean T-score = 63.66, d = 0.85), Dysfunctional Negative Emotions (mean T-score = 59.48, d = 0.84), and Negative Emotionality/Neuroticism (mean T-score = 58.94, d = 0.82). In contrast, Juvenile Conduct Problems, Antisocial Behavior, Aggressiveness, and Disconstraint were lower than normative values. The overall profile indicated a predominantly internalizing pattern rather than an externalizing behavioral profile.

CONCLUSION

Iranian patients with somatic symptom and related disorders showed a distinctive MMPI-3 profile marked by internalized emotional distress, somatic-cognitive preoccupation, and reduced externalizing pathology. These findings support the clinical value of structured psychological assessment in this population and highlight treatment-relevant targets, including anxiety, hopelessness, body-focused preoccupation, emotion regulation difficulties, and suicide-risk monitoring.