Depression in adults with intellectual disability. Part 2: A pilot study.
OBJECTIVE
To identify adults with intellectual disability (ID) with a depressive disorder referred to a tertiary consultation clinic for psychiatric assessment; to investigate common presenting features of depression in adults with ID; to assess the utility of visual analogue scale (VAS) measures of emotion/behaviour, the CORE measure of psychomotor disturbance, and substitutive diagnostic criteria in the assessment of depressive disorders in this patient group.


METHODS
Over a 6-month period 47 patients were seen for psychiatric evaluation. Patients in whom a diagnosis of depression was made were further assessed using: VAS measures of depression, irritability, verbal aggression, physical aggression, temper outbursts, regressed behaviour; CORE measure of psychomotor disturbance; and substitutive diagnostic criteria designed by the authors.


RESULTS
Ten patients were found to have a depressive disorder. Substitutive criteria resulted in a greater rate of diagnosis than standard DSM-IV criteria. The VAS measure of irritability was highly scored for all 10 depressed patients. All 10 depressed patients were assigned to the melancholic subgroup according to CORE score.


CONCLUSIONS
Standard assessment measures and diagnostic criteria may require modification to enhance their utility in this patient group. Melancholic features require further investigation.
Davis
J P
JP
Department of Psychiatry, St Vincent's Hospital, Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia.
Judd
F K
FK
Herrman
H
H
D000328:Adult; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011596:Psychomotor Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis
D000928:Antidepressive Agents