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A Scale for Evaluating Emotional Disorders in Severely and Profoundly Mentally Retarded Persons Development of the Diagnostic Assessment for the Severely Handicapped (DASH) Scale

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Johnny L. Matson*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University
William I. Gardner
Affiliation:
Department of Rehabilitation Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
David A. Coe
Affiliation:
Psychology Intern, Kennedy Institute, Johns Hopkins University Medical School
Robert Sovner
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Harvard University Medical School
*
Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA

Abstract

The DASH scale was used to assess 506 profoundly and severely mentally retarded persons (247 females and 259 males). The scale, covering 13 major psychiatric disorders, consists of 83 items derived from DSM–III–R as well as previously published studies of this population. Data were collected on symptom frequency, duration and severity in individual interviews with direct-care staff. Elimination and pervasive developmental disorders were most frequent, self-injurious behaviour disorders most severe. Most symptoms had been evident for at least a year. Inter-rater reliability was generally good.

Type
Papers
Copyright
Copyright © 1991 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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