Self-injury by people with mental retardation: a compulsive behavior hypothesis.
Self-injury is a significant problem for many individuals with developmental disabilities, particularly those with severe or profound mental retardation. Many hypotheses have been suggested to account for self-injury, but none has been comprehensive. In this paper hypotheses suggesting psychological, behavioral, physiological, or neurochemical factors as causes of self-injury were critically reviewed. A compulsive behavior hypothesis was then introduced, which allows for alternative interpretations of some existing data and suggests several readily testable predictions.
King
B H
BH
Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute 90024.
D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D003192:Compulsive Behavior / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology