The clinical profile and service needs of hospitalized adults with mental retardation and a psychiatric diagnosis.

Objective: This study compared patients with both mental retardation and a psychiatric diagnosis with patients who did not have co-occurring mental retardation who were served in Ontario's tertiary mental health care system in terms of demographic characteristics, symptom profile, strengths and resources, and clinical service needs.

Methods: A secondary analysis of data from the Colorado Client Assessment Record (CCAR) that were collected between 1999 and 2003 from all tertiary psychiatric hospitals in Ontario, Canada, was completed for a random sample of 3,927 cases, representing 12,470 patients receiving psychiatric services.

Results: Patients with both mental retardation and a psychiatric diagnosis differed from those who did not have mental retardation in terms of demographic characteristics, diagnostic and symptom profile, resources, and recommended level of care.

Depressive symptoms in intellectual disability: does gender play a role?

Background: Gender issues remain largely unaddressed in the dual diagnosis arena, even in the area of depression where there is a 2:1 female to male ratio in the general population. This paper argues that women with intellectual disability (ID) report higher levels of depressive symptoms than men with ID and that risk factors for depression identified for women in the general population are relevant to this group.

Method: Findings are based on structured interviews with 99 men and women with ID, with corroborative information provided from caregivers and casebook reviews.

Extra-individual sources of social support as described by adults with mild intellectual disabilities.

The extra-individual social support responses provided by adults with intellectual disabilities on a social support survey were examined. Felton and Berry (1992) argued that extra-individual social support, support from larger than individual entities, is a valid source of social support for older adults. We hypothesized that extra-individual support would also be relevant to adults with intellectual disabilities.

Association between perceived social support and strain, and positive and negative outcome for adults with mild intellectual disability.

Social strain has been identified as a trigger for both depression and physical health problems, but has not been well researched in people with intellectual disability (ID). The present study contrasted the effects of social support with social strain on depressive symptoms, somatic complaints and quality of life over time in adults with mild ID. The level of social support explained a significant proportion of variance in quality of life 6 months later, but not depressive symptoms or somatic complaints.

Developmental disability training in Canadian psychiatry residency programs.

Objective: To examine current training in developmental disabilities in Canadian psychiatry residency programs and to determine, from the programs' perspectives, how provinces across Canada are responding to the needs of persons with developmental disabilities and comorbid mental health disturbances (persons with a "dual diagnosis").

Method: A survey was completed by residency directors, or their designate, for all 16 psychiatry residency programs in Canada.

Results: Persons with developmental disabilities require psychiatric services throughout their lives, but inadequate training opportunities exist in many of the residency programs, particularly those involving adults and adolescents.

Distinguishing low levels of social support and social strain: implications for dual diagnosis.

Low social support is known to be a risk factor for mental illness in the general population. Social strain, or stressful social interaction, has also been shown to correlate highly with psychopathology but has been largely ignored for individuals with mental retardation. Results based on staff ratings of 104 adults with mental retardation are presented, highlighting the relationship among support, social strain, and psychopathology.

Reliability of ratings of consumers with mental retardation and their staff on multiple measures of social support.

Reliability of self-reports of social support with staff ratings was compared through determining the internal consistency of the measures, consistency across measures, and consistency across raters. Fifty adults with mild mental retardation and their staff in supported living residential settings were interviewed. Self-report ratings had moderate internal consistency, were consistent across rating scales, and were significantly correlated with staff ratings, although staff members tended to agree more with each other than with consumers.

Sociosexual knowledge, experience, attitudes, and interests of individuals with autistic disorder and developmental delay.

Thirty-one individuals, 15 with autistic disorder and 16 with developmental delay, male and female, were asked to select from a series of drawings depicting sexually relevant activities and to define them. In addition they were asked to describe their sexual experiences, attitudes, and interests, using a semistructured interview format. Ability to select through pointing out sexually relevant body parts or activities was not different by level of functioning, group, or gender.