title: Psychopathology in older adults with severe and profound mental retardation.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Louisiana State University, USA.
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Cherry
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Matson
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Paclawskyj
mesh_terms: 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