Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-lnqnp Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-22T16:38:59.392Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Assaultiveness Among Institutionalised Adults with Mental Retardation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Olav M. Linaker
Olav M. Linaker*
Affiliation:
Department of Forensic Psychiatry, University of Trondheim, PO Box 1803 Lade, N-7002 Trondheim, Norway
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

In an institution, 57 people with mental retardation who had shown assaultive behaviour during the last year were compared with a control group of 57 people in the same institution, matched by sex, level of retardation and age. The study group were younger and had more people with a moderate level of mental retardation than the total population of the institution. Compared with the controls, the assaultive group had more resources available, had more psychopathology, consumed more psychotropic drugs, and had a higher frequency of other problem behaviour. We found no group differences in personal skills, including communication. Generally, the observed covariates of assaultive behaviour resembled that seen in other populations with assaultive behaviour.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 164 , Issue 1 , January 1994 , pp. 62 - 68
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abram, K. (1989) The effect of co-occurring disorders on criminal careers: interaction of antisocial personality, alcoholism, and drug disorders. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 12, 133–148.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Aman, M. G., White, A. J., Vaithianathan, C., et al (1986) Preliminary study of imipramine in profoundly retarded residents. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 16, 263–273.Google Scholar
American Psychiatric Association (1987) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd edn, revised) (DSM–III–R). Washington, DC: APA.Google Scholar
Aquilina, C. (1991) Violence by psychiatric in-patients. Medical Science and the Law, 31, 306–312.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Barnhill, L. R. (1980) Clinical assessment of intrafamilial violence. Hospital and Community Psychiatry, 31, 543–547.Google Scholar
Baumeister, A. A. & Sevin, J. A. (1990) Pharmacologic control of aberrant behavior in the mentally retarded: toward a more rational approach. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 14, 253–262.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Binder, R. L. & McNiel, D. E. (1988) Effects of diagnosis and context on dangerousness. American Journal of Psychiatry, 145, 728–732.Google ScholarPubMed
Bird, F., Dores, P. A., Moniz, D., et al (1989) Reducing severe aggressive and self-injurious behaviors with functional communication training. American Journal of Mental Retardation, 94, 37–48.Google ScholarPubMed
Buck, J. A. & Sprague, R. L. (1989) Psychotropic medication of mentally retarded residents in community long-term care facilities. American Journal of Mental Retardation, 93, 618–623.Google ScholarPubMed
Cadoret, R. J. (1978) Psychopathology in adopted-away offspring of biologic parents with antisocial personality. Archives of General Psychiatry, 35, 176–184.Google Scholar
Clayton, P. J. (1985) Suicide. Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 8, 203–214.Google Scholar
Cooke, D. J. (1989) Containing violent prisoners. British Journal of Criminology, 29, 129–143.Google Scholar
Day, K. (1988) A hospital-based treatment programme for male mentally handicapped offenders. British Journal of Psychiatry, 153, 635–644.Google Scholar
Day, K. (1990) Mental retardation: clinical aspects and management. In Principles and Practice of Forensic Psychiatry (eds R. Bluglass & P. Bowden). London: Churchill Livingstone.Google Scholar
Eichelman, B. (1988) Toward a rational pharmacotherapy for aggressive and violent behavior. Hospital and Community Psychiatry, 39, 31–39.Google Scholar
Eyman, R. K., Capes, L., Moore, B. C., et al (1970) Maladaptive behavior of institutionalized retardates with seizures. American Journal of Mental Deficiency, 74, 651–659.Google ScholarPubMed
Farmer, R., Holroyd, S. & Rhode, J. (1990) Differences in disability between people with mental handicaps who were resettled in the community and those who remained in hospital. British Medical Journal, 301, 646.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fedio, P. (1986) Behavioral characteristics of patients with temporal lobe epilepsy. Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 9, 267–281.Google Scholar
Feldman, T. R., Johnson, P. W. & Bell, R. A. (1990) Cofactors in the commission of violent crimes: a self-psychology examination. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 44, 172–179.Google Scholar
Fraser, W. I. & Rao, J. M. (1990) Recent studies of mentally handicapped young people's behaviour. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 32, 79–108.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gedye, A. (1989) Episodic rage and aggression attributed to frontal lobe seizures. Journal of Mental Deficiency Research, 3, 369–379.Google Scholar
Gedye, A. (1991) Serotonergic treatment for aggression in a Down's syndrome adult showing signs of Alzheimer's disease. Journal of Mental Deficiency Research, 35, 247–258.Google Scholar
Göstason, R. (1985) Psychiatric illness among the mentally retarded. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 71 (suppl. 318).Google Scholar
Gunsett, R. P., Mulick, J. A., Fernald, W. B., et al (1989) Indications for medical screening prior to behavioral programming for severely and profoundly mentally retarded clients. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 19, 167–172.Google Scholar
Harder, S. R., Kalachnik, J. E., Jensen, M. A., et al (1987) Psychotropic drug use with successful and unsuccessful community placed developmentally disabled groups. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 8, 191–202.Google Scholar
Harris, G. T. & Varney, G. W. (1986) A ten year study of assaults and assaulters on a maximum security unit. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 1, 173–191.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hill, B. K., Balow, E. A. & Bruininks, R. H. (1985) A national study of prescribed drugs in institutions and community residential facilities for mentally retarded people. Psychopharmacology Bulletin, 25, 279–284.Google Scholar
Hoefkens, A. & Allen, D. (1990) Evaluation of a special behaviour unit for people with mental handicaps and challenging behaviour. Journal of Mental Deficiency and Research, 34, 213–228.Google Scholar
Jacobson, J. W. (1982) Problem behavior and psychiatric impairment within a developmentally disabled population I: behavior frequency. Applied Research in Mental Retardation, 3, 121–139.Google Scholar
Jacobson, J. W. (1982) Problem behavior and psychiatric impairment within a developmentally disabled population II: behavior severity. Applied Research in Mental Retardation, 3, 369–381.Google Scholar
James, D. V., Fineberg, N. A., Shah, A. K., et al (1990) An increase in violence on an acute psychiatric ward: a study of associated factors. British Journal of Psychiatry, 156, 846–852.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Krakowski, M., Convit, A., Jaeger, J., et al (1989) Neurological impairment in violent schizophrenic patients. American Journal of Psychiatry, 146, 849–853.Google Scholar
Lewis, C. (1990) Crimes of violence. In Principles and Practice of Forensic Psychiatry (eds R. Bluglass & P. Bowden). London: Churchill Livingstone.Google Scholar
Lewis, D. O., Lovely, R., Yeager, C., et al (1989) Towards a theory of the genesis of violence: a follow-up study of delinquents. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 28, 431–436.Google Scholar
Linaker, O. (1990) Frequency of and determinants for psychotropic drug use in an institution for the mentally retarded. British Journal of Psychiatry, 156, 525–530.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Linaker, O. (1991) DSM–III diagnoses compared with factor structure of the Psychopathology Instrument for Mentally Retarded Adults (PIMRA), in an institutionalized, mostly severely retarded population. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 12, 143–153.Google Scholar
Linaker, O. & Nitter, R. (1989) Hvem er igjen i sentralinstitusjonene? (Who is left in the institutions for the mentally retarded?) Journal of The Norwegian Medical Association, 109, 473–475.Google Scholar
Linaker, O. & Nitter, R. (1990) Psychopathology in institutionalised mentally retarded adults. British Journal of Psychiatry, 156, 522–525.Google Scholar
Lueger, R. L. & Gill, K. J. (1990) Frontal-lobe cognitive dysfunction in conduct disorder adolescents. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 46, 696–706.Google Scholar
Lund, J. (1986) Behavioural symptoms and autistic psychosis in the mentally retarded adult. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 73, 420–428.Google Scholar
Lund, J. (1989) Measuring behaviour disorder in mental handicap. British Journal of Psychiatry, 155, 379–383.Google Scholar
Lund, J. (1990) Mentally retarded criminal offenders in Denmark. British Journal of Psychiatry, 156, 726–731.Google Scholar
Marazziti, D. & Conti, L. (1991) Aggression, hyperactivity and platelet imipramine binding. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 84, 209–211.Google Scholar
Matson, J. L., Gardner, W. I., Coe, D. A., et al (1991a) A scale for evaluating emotional disorders in severely and profoundly mentally retarded persons. Development of the Diagnostic Assessment for the Severely Handicapped (DASH) Scale. British Journal of Psychiatry, 159, 404–409.Google Scholar
Matson, J. L., Gardner, W. I., Coe, D. A., et al (1991b) A factor analytic study of the Diagnostic Assessment for the Severely Handicapped Scale. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 179, 553–557.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McNeil, G. N. & Soreff, S. M. (1987) Violence. In Handbook of Psychiatric Differential Diagnosis (eds S. M. Soreff & G. N. McNeil). Littleton, Massachusetts: PSG Publishing.Google Scholar
Meyer, J. D. & Fink, C. M. (1989) Psychiatric symptoms from prescription medications. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 20, 90–96.Google Scholar
Naffin, N. & Gale, F. (1989) Testing the nexus: crime, gender and unemployment. British Journal of Criminology, 29, 144–156.Google Scholar
Norton, R. N. & Morgan, M. Y. (1989) The role of alcohol in mortality and morbidity from interpersonal violence. Alcohol and Alcoholism, 24, 565–576.Google Scholar
O'Leary, K. D., Barling, J., Arias, I., et al (1989) Prevalence and stability of physical aggression between spouses: a longitudinal analysis. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 57, 263–268.Google Scholar
Palmstierna, T. & Wistedt, B. (1989) Risk factors for aggressive behaviour are of limited value in predicting the violent behaviour of acute involuntarily admitted patients. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 81, 152–155.Google Scholar
Rogers, D., Karki, C., Bartlett, C., et al (1991) The motor disorders of mental handicap. An overlap with the motor disorders of severe psychiatric illness. British Journal of Psychiatry, 158, 97–102.Google Scholar
Rogers, R., Ciula, B. & Cavanaugh, J. L. (1980) Aggressive and socially disruptive behaviour among maximum security patients. Psychological Reports, 46, 291–294.Google Scholar
Schroeder, S. R. & Gualtieri, C. T. (1985) Behavioral interactions induced by chronic neuroleptic therapy in persons with mental retardation. Psychopharmacology Bulletin, 21, 310–315.Google Scholar
Senatore, V., Matson, J. L. & Kazdin, A. E. (1985) An inventory to assess psychopathology of mentally retarded adults. American Journal of Mental Deficiency, 89, 459–466.Google Scholar
Shah, A. K., Fineberg, N. A. & James, D. V. (1991) Violence among psychiatric inpatients. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 84, 305–309.Google Scholar
Spangler, P., Gilman, B. & LaBorde, R. (1990) Frequency and type of incidents occurring in urban based group homes. Journal of Mental Deficiency Research, 34, 371–378.Google Scholar
Swanson, J. W., Holzer, C. E., Ganju, V. K., et al (1990) Violence and psychiatric disorder in the community: evidence from the Epidemiological Catchment Area Surveys. Hospital and Community Psychiatry, 41, 761–770.Google Scholar
Volavka, J. & Krakowski, M. (1989) Schizophrenia and violence. Psychological Medicine, 19, 559–562.Google Scholar
Widom, C. S. (1989) The cycle of violence. Science, 244, 160–166.Google Scholar
World Health Organization (1979) Studies in Drug Utilization, Methods and Applications. Copenhagen: WHO Report Publication, European Series.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.