Am J Psychiatry 1987; 144:661-663
Copyright © 1987 by American Psychiatric Association
Stressful life events and psychiatric hospitalization of mentally retarded patients
LS Stack, CV Haldipur and M Thompson
The authors compared the type and number of life events experienced by 19
mentally retarded patients and 19 nonretarded control subjects in the month
before their admission to the same unit of a state mental hospital. The
retarded patients had exhibited fewer changes in eating and other personal
habits. On admission they presented fewer signs of intrapsychic disturbance
but more of self-destruction or aggression. These results imply that
clinicians need specific training to diagnose and treat psychiatric
disorders in the mentally retarded patients who now use community mental
health facilities, because their presentations may be atypical.
