Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-p9bg8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-22T03:11:16.512Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Behaviour Symptoms among Severely and Profoundly Mentally Retarded Patients

A 16–18 Year Follow-Up Study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Andrew H. Reid  and
Brian R. Ballinger
Brian R. Ballinger
Affiliation:
Royal Dundee Liff Hospital
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background

Little is known about the natural history and evolution of behaviour symptoms and patterns in severely and profoundly mentally retarded adults. This paper reports a cohort study of 100 such adults.

Method

Abnormal behaviour symptoms and patterns have been followed, using a carer rating scale and the Modified Manifest Abnormality Scale of Goldberg's Clinical Interview Schedule (1970) by the same two consultant psychiatrists in 1975, 1981 and 1992.

Results

Emotional withdrawal, stereotypies and eye avoidance are particularly persistent. Carer ratings of noisiness and social withdrawal, and psychiatrist ratings of suspiciousness, overactivity and hostile irritability, are also persistent but to a lesser degree. Overall ratings of psychiatric disorder are persistent and act against successful community placement.

Conclusions

Abnormal behaviour patterns in severely and profoundly mentally retarded adults show only a modest degree of abatement over time. Care staff need a good understanding of clinical psychiatric and behaviour management techniques.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 167 , Issue 4 , October 1995 , pp. 452 - 455
Copyright
Copyright © 1995 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

∗

Figures in brackets refer to the 1975 survey.

References

Ballinger, B. R. & Reid, A. H. (1977) Psychiatric disorder in an adult training centre and a hospital for the mentally handicapped. Psychological Medicine, 7, 525–528.Google Scholar
Ballinger, B. R., Armstrong, J., Presly, A. S. & Reid, A. H. (1975) Use of a standardised psychiatric interview in mentally handicapped patients. British Journal of Psychiatry, 127, 540–544.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Carter, G. & Jancar, J. (1983) Mortality in the mentally handicapped: a 50 year survey at the Stoke Park group of hospitals (1930–1980). Journal of Mental Deficiency Research, 27, 143–156.Google Scholar
Cole, G., Neal, J. W., Fraser, W. I., et al (1994) Autopsy findings in patients with mental handicap. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 38, 9–26.Google Scholar
Day, K. A. (1985) Psychiatric disorder in the middle-aged and elderly mentally handicapped. British Journal of Psychiatry, 147, 660–667.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Day, K. A. & Jancar, J. (1994) Mental and physical health and ageing in mental handicap: a review. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 38, 241–256.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Deb, S. & Hunter, D. (1991) Psychopathology of people with mental handicap and epilepsy. II: Psychiatric illness. British Journal of Psychiatry, 159, 826–830.Google Scholar
Emerson, E. & Hatton, C. (1994) Moving Out: The Impact of Relocation from Hospital to Community on the Quality of Life of People with Learning Disabilities. London: HMSO.Google Scholar
Forssman, H. & Akesson, H. O. (1970) Mortality of the mentally deficient: a study of 12,903 institutionalized subjects. Journal of Mental Deficiency Research, 14, 276–294.Google Scholar
Goldberg, D. P., Cooper, B., Eastwood, M. R., et al (1970) A standardized psychiatric interview for use in community surveys. British Journal of Social & Preventive Medicine, 24, 18–23.Google Scholar
Gunn, J. & Fenton, G. W. (1969) Epilepsy in prison: a diagnostic survey. British Medical Journal, iv, 326–328.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mansell, J. L. (1993) Services for People with Learning Disabilities and Challenging Behaviour or Mental Health Needs. London: HMSO.Google Scholar
Reid, A. H., Ballinger, B. R. & Heather, B. B. (1978) Behavioural syndromes identified by cluster analysis in a sample of 100 severely and profoundly retarded adults. Psychological Medicine, 8, 399–412.Google Scholar
Reid, A. H., Ballinger, B. R. & Heather, B. B., et al (1984) The natural history of behavioural symptoms among severely and profoundly mentally retarded patients. British Journal of Psychiatry, 145, 289–293.Google Scholar
Rutter, M. & Graham, P. (1968) The reliability and validity of the psychiatric assessment of the child. I. Interview with the child. British Journal of Psychiatry, 114, 563–579.Google Scholar
Schroeder, S. R., Bickel, W. & Richmond, G. (1986) Primary and secondary prevention of self-injurious behaviours: a life-long problem. In Advances in Learning – Behavioural Disabilities. Vol. 5 (ed. Gadow, K. D.). Boston: Little Brown.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.