Medical Treatment of Behaviour Problems in People with Mental Handicap

Author(s):  
J. A. Corbett
1976 ◽  
Vol 128 (5) ◽  
pp. 467-470 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas A. Spencer

SummaryBetter Services for the Mentally Handicapped (1971) forecasts a diminution in the number of beds in hospitals for mental handicap. It can be achieved only by the admission of fewer new long-stay patients. This paper considers 50 new long-stay cases admitted to a hospital for mentally handicapped in the five years 1970 to 1974. Of these admissions 42 per cent were children, and of all the admissions 54 per cent had Wechsler intelligence quotients under 25. Further, 62 per cent of the admissions were for behaviour problems and 38 per cent were for physical infirmity and helplessness. It is concluded that there are some mentally handicapped people who have problems with which only a hospital can cope. The high nursing dependency and the profound mental retardation of a majority of the new long-stay patients present a formidable challenge.


1978 ◽  
Vol 16 (24) ◽  
pp. 93-96

The condition in which a lack of intelligence may interfere with the competence of an individual to care for himself is officially called ‘subnormality’ (‘mental deficiency’ in Scotland), but generally the term ‘mental handicap’ is used. The Mental Health Act of 1959 defines subnormality mainly in terms of the needs for medical treatment and training, and severe subnormality in sociological terms. The clinical and educational assessment is customarily supplemented by the intelligence test, to categorise the mentally handicapped.


1986 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 895-907 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lyn Quine

SynopsisA population study was undertaken in two health districts of children with severe mental handicap. Prevalence figures for behaviour problems are presented. A stratified random sample of 200 families was drawn from the population. Detailed structured interviews were carried out with the children's parents. The children were divided into two groups comprising those with behaviour problems and those with no problems. There was a significant association between behaviour disorder and incontinence, lack of self-help skills, poor reading, writing and counting skills, and poor communication skills. Environmental correlates were few. There were no differences between groups in family size, birth order, age of parents, marital discord, social class or income. However, behaviour problems were more common in one-parent families. An association was found between maternal stress and problem behaviour. The possible mechanisms underlying this association are discussed


1991 ◽  
Vol 159 (6) ◽  
pp. 822-826 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Deb ◽  
David Hunter

One hundred and fifty mentally handicapped people (100 from hospital and 50 from the community) with epilepsy were studied along with an individually matched control group of 150 (100 from hospital and 50 from the community) non-epileptic mentally handicapped people. Behaviour was studied using the Profile of Abilities and Adjustment Schedule. Of the total population, 55.3% showed some type of severe behaviour problem. Although the epileptics showed slightly more severe behaviour problems than the non-epileptic group, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups. Some differences emerged between the groups when subgroups of epileptics were studied.


1983 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 114-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Betty U. Watson ◽  
Ronald W. Thompson

The purpose of this study was to evaluate parents' reactions and understanding of diagnostic information from written reports and conferences in a clinic which provides multidisciplinary evaluations for children with speech, learning, language, and hearing problems. Previous studies and anecdotal reports suggested that many parents do not receive appropriate diagnostic information about their children. In the present study questionnaires were mailed to parents who had received reports of evaluations and most of whom had attended hour-long conferences covering the findings. Questionnaires were also sent to professionals who had received reports. Fifty-seven percent of the parents, and 63% of the professionals returned the questionnaires. Ninety percent of the parents indicated that they had understood the results as they were presented in the conference. Ninety-three percent of the professionals and 89% of the parents stated they understood the conclusions of the written reports .Further, 83% of the parents and 80% of the professionals reported that the findings had made a change in the child's educational or medical treatment. The percentage of parents who reported understanding the findings was greater than expected. The specific informing techniques used in this study are discussed.


2005 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 68
Author(s):  
Jane Salodof MACNeil

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