In a study of 53 psychiatric inpatients (ages 6-13), depressed children reported significantly more hopelessness, more negative self-perceptions, negative self-perceptions across a wider variety of domains, and more dysfunctional attributional styles than nondepressed controls. Additional results suggested that childhood depressive disorders may…

Evaluates the leisure perceptions held by adolescents in institutional settings. Neulinger's (1986) "What Am I Doing?" scale (WAID) is used to measure the differences between adolescents in therapeutic and nontherapeutic settings. Discusses whether the two cohorts differ in regard to their scores when concomitant variables are statistically…

Evaluation of 11 moderately/profoundly retarded residents receiving long-term thioridazine treatment found that ratings of hyperactivity and self-injury were significantly lower during the higher dose condition, that high-stereotypy subjects responded better to the drug than low-stereotypy subjects, but that no overall drug effects could be…

The study compared living conditions (e.g., place of residence, daily occupations, attendance at evening classes, recreational activities, and social contacts) of 43 probands with Down Syndrome and 55 control subjects of similar chronological age (mean age 17 years) living in Denmark. (Author/DB)

Cluster analysis was performed on the adaptive behavior scores of 2 samples of 200 institutionalized mentally retarded individuals. Three clusters were found to be stable across clustering methods, subject samples, and time points 3 years apart. Cluster membership was meaningfully associated with demographic characteristics and neurological and…

Courts in New York and Texas have imposed limits on psychiatric research involving involuntarily institutionalized patients as subjects, citing state and constitutional protection of privacy, due process, and equal protection. Some are concerned that mental health research and treatment will suffer. (MSE)

Forty-six institutionalized adults with mild or moderate mental retardation were administered the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (socialization domain), a subjective measure of quality of life, and a facial emotion recognition test. Facial emotion recognition, quality of life, and social skills appeared to be independent of one another. Facial…

Two experiments in training residents with severe disabilities in key use revealed increased ability to locate keys when reinforced for doing so and successful key use by 20 of 25 participants to open and lock their personal lockers. However, only 36 percent of participants were able to use their keys without prompts. (Author/DB)

Examined and documented effects of interactive computer-based education and training on rehabilitation of long-term care residents (n=14). This approach was found to provide mental stimulation and challenge, as well as improving practical skills which directly impact upon competencies and feelings of autonomy of participants. (Author/NB)

This study reports on the extent to which pharmacological and behavioral consequences were applied to behavior problems within a population of 31,000 adults in New York's developmental services system. Findings indicated that these consequences were significantly related to variables of intellectual level, residential setting type, type and extent…

The parents of a young man with severe mental retardation and challenging behaviors comment on the use of punishment, arguing that the effectiveness of punishment cannot be consistently evaluated without placing their son in a restrictive setting and incurring subsequent uncertainty about generalizing the procedures back into the community…

A vision screening program established at a facility for 271 individuals with severe or profound mental retardation used the acuity card procedure as its measure. The procedure was found to be a valid and reliable screening tool for this population. A few residents had good visual acuities, whereas the acuities of others were poor. (JDD)

Discusses the concept of "horrendous death" (those caused by other people) and its application in the Adult Health and Development Program at the University of Maryland, a multi-ethnic, interracial, intergenerational health promotion and rehabilitation program. This service-learning program applies gerontological health theory and…

This article reviews policy developments in deinstitutionalization and community inclusion in North America, specifically the United States. It begins with a critique of the continuum concept and the associated principle of the least restrictive environment. Past and current controversies surrounding deinstitutionalization are then examined.…

A review of 33 studies of residential service outcomes found that almost all of the studies found statistically significant increases in overall adaptive behavior scores associated with deinstitutionalization of individuals with mental retardation. Three studies reported statistically significant improvements in challenging behavior associated…