The goal of this study was to systematically examine group differences among adults with intellectual disabilities (ID), comorbid autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and epilepsy through a detailed exploration of the characteristics that these disorders present in the area of psychopathology. Previous studies indicating that individuals with ID have…

Factors affecting the development of a taxonomy of psychopathology for children with mental retardation are considered, along with the following diagnostic areas to address: stereotypic behavior and self-injury, autism, organic brain syndromes, and pervasive developmental disorders. Using data from multivariate studies and findings related to…

This article notes a current de-emphasis on genetic syndromes in published articles concerning mental retardation despite major deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) advances in determining mental retardation causes. The article calls for incorporation of these genetic advances into behavioral research of mental retardation, especially as reflected in the…

A meta-analytic approach was used to determine whether diagnostic overshadowing judgmental bias reliably occurs when clinicians evaluate clients with mental retardation and mental disorders. The diagnostic overshadowing effect was reliable over the 349 studies reviewed, and the size of the effect was small to moderate. (Author/SW)

The Psychopathology Instrument for Mentally Retarded Adults was used to diagnose 163 mentally retarded institutionalized adults according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-III axis 1 categories. Nine factors were extracted which contained 49.3 percent of the data variance and categorized correctly 69.3 percent of the cases. Factors included…

This study performed a factor analysis of the Developmental Behavior Checklist (DBC) with 531 children and adolescents with mental retardation. The DBC is intended to assess psychopathology in youth with mental retardation. Findings indicated substantial overlap with the factor analyses of the scale's developers and high levels of internal…

The validity of the schizophrenia subscale of the Psychopathology Instrument for Mentally Retarded Adults (PIMRA) was evaluated with 65 adults having mild to moderate mental retardation as well as either schizophrenia, depression, or no psychopathology. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted, as were interrater reliability analyses.…

This study found that the schizophrenia subscale of the Psychopathology Instrument for Mentally Retarded Adults was a valid quantitative measure of schizophrenia if one item was removed from the scale. Comparison with a nonretarded population indicated that mentally retarded patients had less delusions and more incoherence and flat affect. They…

This case assessment of a man with dual diagnosis (mental retardation and mental illness) exemplifies the use of recent psychological measures, computerized programs, and structured assessment, including the Reiss Screen for Maladaptive Behavior, the Psychopathology Inventory for Mentally Retarded Adults, the Apperceptive Personality Test, and the…