Residents (n=702) of Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation institutions were given dental examinations, and findings were compared with data from 1,077 residents 9 years earlier. Data were analyzed for oral pathology, unmet dental needs, contribution of dental care to habilitation, and effectiveness of the dental service system.…

Investigated effect of alexithymia upon person's art production. Administered Toronto Alexithymia Scale and 100-mm analog scales for depression and anxiety to 100 psychiatric patients. Each subject drew and identified his/her illness. All subjects, even those quantified as alexithymic, were able to graphically communicate their illness using these…

This article recounts the words and deeds of Burton Blatt, a writer, educator, and exposer of abuses of human rights in institutions housing people with mental retardation. His life is seen as an inspiration for those now providing moral leadership in the continuing fight against indifference to human rights abuses and social darwinism. (DB)

Review of the records of 209 institutionalized individuals with developmental disabilities who had died during a 10-year period found that the 29 individuals who exhibited severe self-injury did not live significantly shorter lives, though they did have a significantly higher incidence of vision and hearing impairments when compared to matched…

Individuals (n=55) with mild to moderate mental retardation rated the acceptability of differential reinforcement and time-out. Community-based subjects and institutionalized subjects differed in their ratings depending on the severity of the problem. (DB)

Assessed impact of comprehensive social service program on educational and psychological functioning of 152 adjudicated adolescents. Pretesting provided evidence of significant academic underachievement in all areas, as well as significant disturbances in psychosocial functioning. Posttesting documented improvements in all areas of academic…

Examined nursing homes that have both special care units and traditional units to determine factors that cause homes to place cognitively impaired residents on specialized units. Wandering, other problem behaviors, and Medicaid status were not significant predictors of placement. Logistic regression results indicated that functional status was…

Analysis of a national study of state-operated institutional care for mentally retarded persons is presented. Among findings are dramatic escalation in resident cost, primarily a result of declining institutional census with stable staffing levels. Econometric projections for the year 2000 are offered. (Author/DB)

The progress of 55 clients (ages 18-71) during their first year in a program for persons who are both mentally retarded and psychiatrically impaired was described. The clients increased their level of independence and decreased their frequency of problem behaviors. Unmet needs of this population for residential alternatives and community supports…

Records covering a five-year period of adults with mental retardation in a residential program were reviewed to determine differences in antipsychotic dosages over time. Findings suggest that individuals with mental retardation who do not have psychoses are a suitable group for dosage reduction and that use of alternative medications facilitates…

Examines the economic policies that led to the institutionalization of large numbers of children under inhuman conditions during the Ceausescu regime in Romania. Also examines the efforts of the present Romanian government, national and international organizations, and private groups to place such children with adoptive families both in Romania…

Behavior of direct care staff serving clients with mental retardation in 13 units of a large state-operated residential facility was observed. Results indicated that the activities of direct-care staff were influenced by the client's functioning level, the presence of professional staff, the location of the observation, and the resident- staff…

Examined presence of racial bias in Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory's (MMPI) use with 22 Black and 22 White inpatient psychiatric patients. Found no statistically or clinically significant differences between 2 races on MMPI. Suggests that differences in previous studies may be attributable to variables other than race. (Author/PVV)

Developed database on ethnic elderly persons; examined extent of communication problems they face in hospitals, nursing homes, and homes for aged in Metro Toronto; and reported on institutional response. Nursing home supervisors (n=77) reported that communication was essential to health care needs of ethnic elderly individuals. Most health care…

Administration of the Dexamethasone Suppression Test (DST) for three groups of institutionalized patients with severe/profound mental retardation found that the 12 depressed patients more frequently (though not significantly) had positive DSTs and significantly higher cortisol levels compared with nondepressed patients with and without other…