Assessing Adolescents with the MACI: Using the Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory - Hardcover

McCann, Joseph T.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0471326194 ISBN 13: 9780471326199

Publisher: Wiley, 1999

Synopsis

Assessing Adolescents with the MACI is an interpretive guide forusing the Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory--the most widelyused personality assessment test for adolescents. The first bookdevoted exclusively to the MACI, this resource will prove a helpfulguide for understanding the test, interpreting the results inclinical evaluation, and making appropriate recommendations fortreatment and care management.

Unlike other assessment tests developed for adults and adapted foradolescents, the MACI was created to address the unique concerns,pressures, and situations of adolescents. The MACI is alsoconstructed using an underlying theory of personality andpsychopathology. The MACI is a 160-item, 31-scale self reportinventory that was designed to assess personality styles,significant problems or concerns, and clinical symptoms inadolescents. Using a true false format, the MACI surveys a widerange of personality characteristics and clinical symptoms thattend to be a focus in psychological evaluations of teenagers thateither have or are suspected of having emotional or behavioraldifficulties.

While multi-scale personality inventories such as the MACI areuseful for improving the clinician's understanding of anadolescent's personality and clinical symptoms, there are otherreasons for using such instruments. The MACI can be used toformulate diagnostic hypotheses, confirm clinical diagnoses,formulate treatment plans, or assist in decision making surroundingcase management and disposition planning. The MACI can be used asan outcome measure to evaluate changes in an adolescent'sfunctioning as a result of treatment and intervention. Of course,the MACI can also be used in research studies to investigate arange of issues that pertain to adolescent psychopathology,personality, and treatment response.

Drawing on a broad range of sources, including data in the MACImanual, published research studies, unpublished research,theoretical literature, and his own experience with the test,Joseph McCann lays the groundwork for the basis of the test andthen offers an exhaustive exploration of all facets of the test.Recognizing both the strengths and weaknesses of the MACI, McCannoffers a balanced and comprehensive resource on this vitalassessment tool.

"This book fills an important gap in the clinical literature . . .Joseph McCann, author of this first full text on the MACI, is thebest known workshop presenter on the topic. Assessment with theMACI will enable the student and the clinician to develop asophisticated basis for disentangling the many variations amongyoungsters, to assess both their assets and liabilities, todetermine the presence of clinical disorders, and, mostimportantly, to provide a full picture that can serve as the basisfor making decisions regarding each adolescent's welfare, that is,to be able to outline a logical course of treatment which may provemore optimally efficacious. It will guide the reader to transformthe raw MACI test data, coordinate these data with the history ofthe youngster's experience, as well as with observational andinterview information, facilitating interpretive syntheses andproviding thereby a basis to help link assessment to psychotherapy.This text is insightful and comprehensive, a work of inestimablevalue to both practicing clinicians and students." --TheodoreMillon, from the Foreword.

About this title

About the Author

JOSEPH T. McCANN, PsyD, JD, has a private clinical and forensic psychology practice in Binghamton, New York, and has collaborated on the MACI with Theodore Millon, the author of the test. Dr. McCann is also the author of Malingering and Deception in Adolescents and Forensic Assessment with the Millon Inventories.

From the Back Cover

Assessing Adolescents with the MACI is an interpretive guide for using the Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory―the most widely used personality assessment test for adolescents. The first book devoted exclusively to the MACI, this resource will prove a helpful guide for understanding the test, interpreting the results in clinical evaluation, and making appropriate recommendations for treatment and care management.

Unlike other assessment tests developed for adults and adapted for adolescents, the MACI was created to address the unique concerns, pressures, and situations of adolescents. The MACI is also constructed using an underlying theory of personality and psychopathology. The MACI is a 160-item, 31-scale self report inventory that was designed to assess personality styles, significant problems or concerns, and clinical symptoms in adolescents. Using a true false format, the MACI surveys a wide range of personality characteristics and clinical symptoms that tend to be a focus in psychological evaluations of teenagers that either have or are suspected of having emotional or behavioral difficulties.

While multi-scale personality inventories such as the MACI are useful for improving the clinician's understanding of an adolescent's personality and clinical symptoms, there are other reasons for using such instruments. The MACI can be used to formulate diagnostic hypotheses, confirm clinical diagnoses, formulate treatment plans, or assist in decision making surrounding case management and disposition planning. The MACI can be used as an outcome measure to evaluate changes in an adolescent's functioning as a result of treatment and intervention. Of course, the MACI can also be used in research studies to investigate a range of issues that pertain to adolescent psychopathology, personality, and treatment response.

Drawing on a broad range of sources, including data in the MACI manual, published research studies, unpublished research, theoretical literature, and his own experience with the test, Joseph McCann lays the groundwork for the basis of the test and then offers an exhaustive exploration of all facets of the test. Recognizing both the strengths and weaknesses of the MACI, McCann offers a balanced and comprehensive resource on this vital assessment tool.

"This book fills an important gap in the clinical literature . . . Joseph McCann, author of this first full text on the MACI, is the best known workshop presenter on the topic. Assessment with the MACI will enable the student and the clinician to develop a sophisticated basis for disentangling the many variations among youngsters, to assess both their assets and liabilities, to determine the presence of clinical disorders, and, most importantly, to provide a full picture that can serve as the basis for making decisions regarding each adolescent's welfare, that is, to be able to outline a logical course of treatment which may prove more optimally efficacious. It will guide the reader to transform the raw MACI test data, coordinate these data with the history of the youngster's experience, as well as with observational and interview information, facilitating interpretive syntheses and providing thereby a basis to help link assessment to psychotherapy. This text is insightful and comprehensive, a work of inestimable value to both practicing clinicians and students." ―Theodore Millon, from the Foreword.

Unlike other assessment tests developed for adults and adapted for adolescents, the MACI was created to address the unique concerns, pressures, and situations of adolescents. The MACI is also constructed using an underlying theory of personality and psychopathology. The MACI is a 160-item, 31-scale self report inventory that was designed to assess personality styles, significant problems or concerns, and clinical symptoms in adolescents. Using a true false format, the MACI surveys a wide range of personality characteristics and clinical symptoms that tend to be a focus in psychological evaluations of teenagers that either have or are suspected of having emotional or behavioral difficulties.

While multi-scale personality inventories such as the MACI are useful for improving the clinician's understanding of an adolescent's personality and clinical symptoms, there are other reasons for using such instruments. The MACI can be used to formulate diagnostic hypotheses, confirm clinical diagnoses, formulate treatment plans, or assist in decision making surrounding case management and disposition planning. The MACI can be used as an outcome measure to evaluate changes in an adolescent's functioning as a result of treatment and intervention. Of course, the MACI can also be used in research studies to investigate a range of issues that pertain to adolescent psychopathology, personality, and treatment response.

Drawing on a broad range of sources, including data in the MACI manual, published research studies, unpublished research, theoretical literature, and his own experience with the test, Joseph McCann lays the groundwork for the basis of the test and then offers an exhaustive exploration of all facets of the test. Recognizing both the strengths and weaknesses of the MACI, McCann offers a balanced and comprehensive resource on this vital assessment tool.

This book fills an important gap in the clinical literature . . . Joseph McCann, author of this first full text on the MACI, is the best known workshop presenter on the topic. Assessment with the MACI will enable the student and the clinician to develop a sophisticated basis for disentangling the many variations among youngsters, to assess both their assets and liabilities, to determine the presence of clinical disorders, and, most importantly, to provide a full picture that can serve as the basis for making decisions regarding each adolescent's welfare, that is, to be able to outline a logical course of treatment which may prove more optimally efficacious. It will guide the reader to transform the raw MACI test data, coordinate these data with the history of the youngster's experience, as well as with observational and interview information, facilitating interpretive syntheses and providing thereby a basis to help link assessment to psychotherapy. This text is insightful and comprehensive, a work of inestimable value to both practicing clinicians and students. --Theodore Millon, from the Foreword.

Edition details

• Publisher: Wiley
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0471326194
• ISBN 13: 9780471326199
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 238