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Codetypes: A Do-It-Yourself Guide to Analyzing Your Own MMPI-2 Results (All Scale 6 and 7 Codetypes)

 



6–7 (Pa–Pt)

Snapshot. Mistrust fused with chronic tension/worry: vigilant, ruminative, threat-focused; prone to checking, reassurance-seeking, and adversarial interpretations.

Data & demographics.

  • Anxiety disorders skew female; lifetime and past-year prevalence are reliably higher in women, so anxiety-tilted 6–7 profiles are more frequently encountered in female clinical caseloads. (PMC, SAGE Journals)

  • In litigation/forensic contexts, Pa often elevates broadly (situational hypervigilance), so 6–7 appears more there than in community samples. (The Gitlin Law Firm, Frontiers)

  • Inpatient base-rate work shows code-type frequencies and responding patterns differ by setting and by gender/race; use comparison groups when judging rarity. (PubMed)

Clinical prognosis. Good for anxiety/OCD-spectrum with CBT; weaker if fixed suspiciousness blocks alliance.

What works. High-structure CBT (exposure + response prevention if compulsive features), motivational interviewing for distrust, clear informed-consent boundaries to reduce “hidden agenda” fears. (General MMPI-2 code-type guidance.) (Pearson Assessments)


6–8 (Pa–Sc)

Snapshot. “Psychotic V”/paranoid valley when 6 & 8 are high with 7 relatively lower—ideas of reference, odd perceptions, guardedness, social detachment. (Pearson Assessments)

Data & demographics.

Clinical prognosis. Variable; improves with adherence to antipsychotics + skills work; relapse risk if substance use or poor insight.

What works. Coordinated specialty care, antipsychotics, family psychoeducation; keep sessions concrete and reality-anchored. (MMPI-2 training notes for V-pattern interpretation.) (Pearson Assessments)


6–9 (Pa–Ma)

Snapshot. Suspicious + keyed-up/excitable: irritable reactivity, counter-phobic bravado, quick threat escalation; may read slights as persecution and retaliate. (Western Kentucky University)

Data & demographics.

  • Hypomanic/mania phenomena (which can drive Scale 9) are roughly sex-neutral in prevalence, with earlier manic onset reported in males—expect more young adult men in acute settings. (National Institute of Mental Health, Psychiatry Online)

  • Forensic/competency samples show elevated Pa patterns and modest frequency of Pa-anchored code types (e.g., 3–6/6–3 ≈6.1%); Pa high-points are common in inpatient charts. (mmpi.umn.edu)

Clinical prognosis. Fair if arousal is stabilized; riskier where impulsive anger + persecution themes meet substances or weapons access.

What works. Mood stabilization first; behavioral containment plans; brief, neutral, specific communication; avoid power struggles. (Pearson Assessments)


6–0 (Pa–Si)

Snapshot. Guarded, withdrawn, socially avoidant; interprets ambiguity as hostile, then retreats—low disclosure, low help-seeking.

Data & demographics.

  • Social anxiety/avoidance loads more heavily in youth and often (not always) in females; social-anxiety prevalence peaks by the early 20s and shows female>male rates in several large samples. (PLOS, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink)

  • In contested legal settings, Pa inflation is common; an introverted stance can be defensive, cultural, or temperament—not necessarily pathology. (Frontiers)

Clinical prognosis. Good with exposure-based treatments if engagement can be secured; slower course if isolation is entrenched.

What works. Graduated social exposures, behavioral activation, collaborative agendas, and clear privacy boundaries to reduce suspicious construals. (Pearson Assessments)


6–7–8 (Pa–Pt–Sc)

Snapshot. Paranoid–anxious–thought-disorganized triad: scanning for threat, high autonomic tension, cognitive slippage; classic high-severity inpatient mix.

Data & demographics.

Clinical prognosis. Moderate with coordinated treatment; watch for rapid regression under stress.

What works. Antipsychotics + CBT-p (normalizing, behavioral experiments), family work; simple language, here-and-now focus. (Pearson Assessments)


6–7–9 (Pa–Pt–Ma)

Snapshot. Suspicious + tense + over-activated: restless vigilance, racing worry, irritable outbursts; sleep and substances often worsen volatility.

Data & demographics.

  • Bipolar spectrum ≈ equal by sex overall; earlier manic onset in males increases the proportion of young men in acute 6–7–9 presentations. (National Institute of Mental Health, Psychiatry Online)

  • In forensic settings, Pa elevation is environment-linked; anxious over-control (7) coexists with dyscontrol (9), producing stop–go behavior. (Frontiers)

Clinical prognosis. Good once arousal/wakefulness are stabilized; alliance can be fragile if mistrust is engaged head-on.

What works. Sleep/mood stabilization first; CBT for worry; behavioral contracts to prevent escalation; crisp limits + empathic validation. (Pearson Assessments)


6–7–0 (Pa–Pt–Si)

Snapshot. Watchful, anxious, avoidant: ruminative threat appraisal + social retreat; high need for predictability, low tolerance for ambiguity.

Data & demographics.

  • Social anxiety/avoidance and generalized anxiety skew female and younger adult; unemployment/lower education correlate with higher social-anxiety burden in population data. (PLOS)

  • Base-rate studies warn that code-type rarity is setting-specific; in college counseling centers, anxious introverts are common even when code types are undefined (<T65). (Pearson Assessments)

Clinical prognosis. Good with graded exposure + intolerance-of-uncertainty modules.

What works. Exposure hierarchies, behavioral experiments, assertiveness skills; slow pace, explicit agendas, transparent note-sharing to lower suspicion. (Pearson Assessments)


6–8–9 (Pa–Sc–Ma)

Snapshot. Paranoid–psychotic features with manic drive: pressured cognition, persecutory themes, behavioral over-activation; risk for agitation.

Data & demographics.

Clinical prognosis. Dependent on rapid stabilization; good recovery potential with adherence.

What works. Antipsychotic + mood stabilizer regimens, de-escalation protocols, short commands, minimal stimulation. (Pearson Assessments)


6–8–0 (Pa–Sc–Si)

Snapshot. Paranoid–psychotic coloring with marked social withdrawal: impoverished affect, suspicion-based isolation.

Data & demographics.

Clinical prognosis. Fair if negative-symptom burden is modest; risk of long-term disability if amotivation dominates.

What works. Skills training (social cognition, role-plays), behavioral activation, family engagement; keep interventions concrete and cue-rich. (Pearson Assessments)


6–9–0 (Pa–Ma–Si)

Snapshot. Suspicious, activated, but socially avoidant: edgy solitude, intermittent bursts of activity/anger, poor repair after conflicts.

Data & demographics.

  • Bipolar spectrum ~ equal by sex; avoidant traits/withdrawal more visible in younger adults and in those with unemployment/role disruption. (National Institute of Mental Health, PLOS)

  • Forensic/correctional samples often show Pa as high-point; Pa peaks occur in ~10% of normative men, but Pa ≥T65 spikes are much rarer (~2–3%). (pearsonclinical.com.au)

Clinical prognosis. Good if activation and sleep are managed and behavioral routines are rebuilt; otherwise recurrent crises.

What works. Mood stabilization, stimulus control for sleep, values-based activation, clear conflict-de-escalation scripts; keep communications brief, behaviorally specific. (Pearson Assessments)



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