Am J Psychiatry 1984; 141:88-90
Copyright © 1984 by American Psychiatric Association
Awareness of negative social conditions among mentally retarded, emotionally disturbed outpatients
S Reiss and BA Benson
Many mentally retarded people experience negative social conditions for
long periods in their lives. These include the stigmatizing effects of
being labeled mentally retarded, rejection and ridicule, segregation,
infantilization, social disruption, restricted opportunities, and
victimization. Many mildly and some moderately retarded people are highly
aware of these negative social realities and can articulate them in detail
during psychotherapy interviews; the authors describe three such patients.
There is a need for research on the possible effect of prolonged exposure
to negative social conditions on the mental health of mentally retarded
persons.
