Psychopathology in older adults with severe and profound mental retardation.
The prevalence of psychopathology in younger and older adults with severe and profound mental retardation was examined. Participants were evaluated by direct-care staff using the Diagnostic Assessment for the Severely Handicapped (DASH), which measures the frequency, duration, and severity of symptoms associated with 13 major psychiatric disorders derived from the DSM-III-R. The frequency of disorders was comparable for younger and older adults. Age group differences favoring the older adults were revealed in the analyses of duration and severity on 4 of the DASH subscales. Implications of these findings for research and practice were discussed.
Cherry
K E
KE
Louisiana State University, USA.
Matson
J L
JL
Paclawskyj
T R
TR
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior / Q000453:epidemiology; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009497:Neurotic Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D012112:Residential Facilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013239:Stereotyped Behavior; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology