14 DAY TRIAL // Mentally retarded children and teenagers have highly increased risks of developing emotional and behavioral disorders at an early age, which usually persist in adulthood and old age. According to a recent study carried out by a team of researchers at the University of Sydney, Australia, children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities are very prone to emotional and behavioral problems which do not disappear as they grow older.
Writing in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Australian researchers said: "Although it declined, the level remained relatively high. We make the case that intervention and more understanding of the factors that would lessen psychopathology would be important." The trial brought to light the fact that mentally retarded young people may develop very easily a wide range of emotional and behavioral disorders, from motor and vocal tics (cursing, head-banging etc.) to inability to communicate with the others etc.
The study was conducted on 578 children who presented developmental abilities, with ages ranging from 5 to 19 at the beginning of the research, in 1991. The follow-up study investigated on the volunteers' risks of developing behavioral and emotional problems and what were the chances to cure them. For the study, researchers used the Developmental Behavior Checklist, which is a method of measuring psychopathology in young people. Psychopathology refers to behavioral and emotional problems and disorders.
Results showed that - besides the fact that behavioral and emotional disorders are very popular among mentally retarded children and adolescents - these problems persist with age and are rather hard to be treated and eliminated.
Researchers concluded in their study: "The observation that severe psychopathology was already present in a high proportion of the cohort at commencement of the study, and the persistence of these symptoms, suggest the need for effective mental health interventions. This should include support, education, and skills training for their parents who are likely to be stressed by the burden of care. Without effective interventions, these data could lead to the prediction that this sizable and neglected public health problem will also continue to be a burden on families, communities, and governments."