The natural history of behavioural symptoms among severely and profoundly mentally retarded patients.
In a study of the evolution of behavioural symptoms in severely and profoundly mentally retarded adults in hospital over a period of six years, items of abnormal behaviour were found to be remarkably persistent. There is a high prevalence rate of psychiatric disorder in this population, when this disorder is defined in a widely descriptive sense. A substantially improved living environment, and increased staff-patient ratios, are prerequisites for improving disturbed behaviour in these patients.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001519:Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010554:Personality Disorders; D012652:Self Mutilation; D012920:Social Behavior Disorders; D013239:Stereotyped Behavior