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Biomedical subjects

J L Matson

Publications and source records attributed to J L Matson.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Assessment of depression in mentally retarded adolescents.

The performance of 25 mentally retarded and 25 normal IQ adolescents was investigated on self-report and informant versions of three childhood depression measures. These measures included the Children's Depression Inventory, the Bellevue Index of Depression, and the Reynolds Child Depression Scale. Adolescents with mild to severe levels of mental retardation were studied. Strong correlations between total scores of measures were found. Analyses of variance comparing mentally retarded and intellectually average adolescents differed significantly only on the Bellevue Index of Depression. Finally, the relationship between self-report and informant versions of these measures were correlated, with mixed results. Implications for the use of these scales in assessing depression of mentally retarded adolescents are discussed.

Adolescent↗
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A criterion validity study of the schizophrenia subscale of the Psychopathology Instrument for Mentally Retarded Adults (PIMRA).

Sixty-five mildly to moderately mentally retarded adults from institutional and community placements in Louisiana and Texas with DSM diagnoses of schizophrenia, depression, or no psychopathology were recruited. The primary goal was to establish the validity of the PIMRA's schizophrenic subscale for diagnosing mentally retarded adults. In addition, validity of the depression subscale was replicated. Assessment measures included the informant version of the Psychopathology Instrument for the Mentally Retarded (PIMRA), DSM-III-R checklists for schizophrenia and depression, and a drug response rating. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted, as were interrater reliability on all measures. The schizophrenia and depression subscale of the PIMRA were validated. Implications of the research and directions for future study are presented.

Adult↗
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Development of the psychopathology instrument for Mentally Retarded Adults-Sexuality Scale (PIMRA-S).

Little research or attention has been focused on identifying sexual problems or difficulties that people with mental retardation commonly experience. Scale development represents an important area for study to help identify these problems and to evaluate treatment outcome. To address this need, the Psychopathology Instrument for Mentally Retarded Adults-Sexuality Scale (PIMRA-S) was designed to assess psychosexual disorders in mild and moderate mentally retarded persons. Eighty-six mild and moderately mentally retarded adults, ages 20 to 60, were studied using the PIMRA-S. Scale development of this type was considered important because little has been done to assess sexual problems among mentally retarded persons. Fifty-eight items were developed based on evaluations of the research literature and interviews of experienced professionals. A preliminary assessment of reliability was conducted. The psychometric characteristics of these preliminary analyses were favorable. In addition, information was reported on the rate of sexually aberrant behavior exhibited by people identified with mild and moderate mental retardation. Differences in the rate of sexually aberrant behavior were addressed as a function of living and work placement, positive history of sexual abuse, need for treatment of sexual problems, and psychiatric diagnosis. Implications of these results for further scale development are discussed.

Adult↗
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Attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder among mentally retarded children.

Teachers completed the Connors' Teacher Rating Scale (CTRS-39) on 100 boys assigned to one of four groups based on an IQ screen and scores on a DSM-III-R checklist of the symptoms for Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (AD-HD). The groups included children rated high on AD-HD, mentally retarded children, mentally retarded children rated high on AD-HD, and a normal control group. Using the CTRS-39, there were no significant differences between the normal IQ AD-HD group and the mentally retarded AD-HD group on all but one of the factors. Mentally retarded children in general were found to be more anxious than their normal peers, whereas normal IQ AD-HD children were rated higher than the other groups on the Asocial factor. Implications of these data and future directions are discussed.

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity↗
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Adolescent depression: relationships of self-report to intellectual and adaptive functioning.

Self-report measures of depression, general psychopathology, and social skills were administered to adolescents ranging from moderate mental retardation to above normal intelligence. Adolescents with mental retardation reported more depression and general psychopathology symptoms. Variance and regression analyses demonstrated distinctions on the basis of mental retardation status for individual measures. Additional analyses identified differences between individuals with above normal intelligence and individuals with mild mental retardation on the basis of depression specifically. Adaptive behavior functioned as a moderator variable, mediating the relationship between depression and intellectual functioning.

Activities of Daily Living↗
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Characteristics of autism as assessed by the Diagnostic Assessment for the Severely Handicapped-II (DASH-II).

The present study involved 1245 individuals with severe and profound mental retardation. Individuals with and without autistic features as assessed by the DASH-II were compared on demographic variables and symptomatology. The core and associated features of autism in severely and profoundly mentally retarded population were identified. Characteristics of persons with autistic disorders are reviewed, and the implications of the results are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Questions about behavioral function (QABF): a behavioral checklist for functional assessment of aberrant behavior.

Functional assessment is a method to identify the relationships between a behavior of interest and an individual's environment. Traditional methods for functional assessment have relied on experimental techniques in which analog sessions are designed to replicate conditions in the individual's environment. However, these techniques can be time-consuming, require advanced training, and rely on the availability of extensive resources in the individual's setting. Development of a brief functional assessment checklist would circumvent these difficulties and meet clinical needs for efficient assessment methods. The current study provides psychometric data for the Questions About Behavioral Function. These data include test-retest, inter-rater, and internal consistency.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Psychopharmacology and mental retardation: a 10 year review (1990-1999).

We conducted a 10 year review of the literature pertaining to psychopharmacology and mental retardation. Studies were included or excluded from the review based on meeting one or more of the methodological criteria normally considered fundamental for sound scientific research. The vast majority of studies conducted in the last 10 years in this area had major methodological flaws. While a large number of medications were prescribed for various psychological disorders and behavior problems, most drug administrations were not based in science, were not evaluated appropriately, and generally did not follow best practices for treatment of persons with mental retardation. Very few medications prescribed were behavior or psychiatric symptom specific; that is, most medications were given to suppress a myriad of aberrant behaviors thus chemically restraining the individual in question. Practices such as these present serious problems for service providers due to the deleterious side effects of many psychotropic medications and the federal government's intervention into the care-provision practices of developmental centers, community homes, and other living arrangements for persons with mental retardation. Implications of our review are discussed.

Aggression↗
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Identifying feeding problems in mentally retarded persons: development and reliability of the screening tool of feeding problems (STEP).

Feeding problems are extremely common among individuals with mental retardation. Palmer, Thompson, and Linscheid (1975) estimate that 33% of persons with mental retardation have severe feeding difficulties or problems. Furthermore, the consequences of untreated feeding problems can be severe if not fatal. Despite these numbers, little has been done to systematically identify these problems. The Screening Tool of Feeding Problems (STEP) was developed as a means to identify feeding problems presented by persons with mental retardation, and thus facilitate the process of identifying who would benefit from some type of behavioral or medical intervention. Items included in the STEP target feeding problems identified in the literature, in the areas of risk of aspiration, food selectivity, feeding skills deficits, food refusal and associated behavior problems, and nutrition related behavior problems. The current study describes the construction of this scale, provides psychometric data including test-retest and cross rater reliability, and factor analysis data.

Adolescent↗
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The relationship of social skills as measured by the MESSIER to rumination in persons with profound mental retardation.

Fifty-two persons with profound mental retardation; 26 people with rumination and 26 controls were studied. The Matson Evaluation of Social Skills for Individuals with sEvere Retardation (MESSIER) was administered to all subjects. Groups were compared across each of six subcategories; positive verbal, positive nonverbal, general positive, negative verbal, negative nonverbal, and general negative items. Controls scored significantly better on the general positive subscale than persons with rumination, although no differences in negative behaviors was noted across groups. Implications of these data are discussed.

Adult↗
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Behavioral treatment of autistic persons: a review of research from 1980 to the present.

Studies evaluating behavioral treatment of autism from 1980 to the present were reviewed. Studies included were published in journal articles and utilized behavioral methodology. A total of 251 studies were included in the review. Each study was analyzed for target behaviors and behavioral techniques implemented. Target behaviors were divided into categories, which included aberrant behaviors, social skills, language, daily living skills, and academic skills. Behavioral techniques were classified as positive, negative, extinction, or combined. Results were presented for each category. Recent trends in the treatment literature were also reviewed, and recommendations for future research were presented.

Autistic Disorder↗
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Do anxiety disorders exist in persons with severe and profound mental retardation?

Sixty-nine individuals with severe and profound mental retardation were selected from 289 clients and studied for possible anxiety disorders. The validity of the DASH-II anxiety subscale was evaluated to determine its value in categorizing individuals with and without anxiety. Our findings were mixed. Only behavioral symptoms associated with anxiety could be reliably assessed in these individuals. Unfortunately; this ruled out many core symptoms of the disorder. Implications of the findings are discussed.

Anxiety Disorders↗
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Validity of the mania subscale of the Diagnostic Assessment for the Severely Handicapped-II (DASH-II).

We attempted to establish the internal consistency and validity of the Diagnostic Assessment for the Severely Handicapped-II (DASH-II) to screen for the presence of mania (bipolar disorder) in severely and profoundly mentally retarded adults, Subjects included 22 individuals residing in a large developmental center in Central Louisiana. The Mania subscale of the DASH-II was internally consistent. Additionally, the DASH-II could be used to accurately classify manic and control individuals. Specific items on the subscale were examined to identify those items most associated with a diagnosis of mania.

Adult↗
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Characteristics of stereotypic movement disorder and self-injurious behavior assessed with the Diagnostic Assessment for the Severely Handicapped (DASH-II).

The first experiment involved 143 individuals with severe and profound mental retardation. Individuals with Stereotypic Movement Disorder, Self-Injurious Behavior (SIB), and Stereotypic movement disorder with self-injurious behavior as assessed by the Diagnostic Assessment for the Severely Handicapped-II DASH-II were validated against Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) criteria. In a second study DASH-II scores for 1480 individuals with severe and profound mental retardation were compared on demographic variables, core and associated features of each disorder. Characteristics of persons in each group were reviewed. Persons with profound mental retardation were more likely to evince stereotypies or self-injury compared to their severely impaired counterparts. Also, those with stereotypies were more likely to present with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)/autism, organicity, and eating disorders, while persons with SIB were more likely to evince sleep, sexual, and eating disorders.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The effect of stereotypies on adaptive skills as assessed with the DASH-II and Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales.

The relationship of the Stereotypy subscale of the Diagnostic Assessment for the Severely Handicapped-II (DASH-II) to adaptive functioning was investigated. Differences in adaptive skills measured with the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS) for individuals scoring at or above the cutoff of the Stereotypy scale and below the cutoff of the scale were analyzed. Individuals with high stereotypy scores had significantly lower VABS scores. Implications of these findings for assessment and treatment are discussed.

Humans↗
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Reliability of the assessment of dual diagnosis (ADD).

Emotional and behavioral problems are a major source of additional handicap for children, adolescents, and adults with mental retardation. To address these problems, clinicians need psychometrically sound instruments for assessing psychopathology in individuals with mental retardation. The initial psychometric properties of the Assessment for Dual Diagnosis (ADD), a new scale designed to screen for psychopathology in individuals with mild and moderate mental retardation, was examined. The authors conducted a preliminary evaluation of the interrater and test-retest reliability of the ADD. It was determined that the ADD had high stability across raters and high stability over time. In addition, good internal consistency was established with coefficient alpha. Potential uses for the scale and directions for future research are discussed.

Diagnosis, Dual (Psychiatry)↗
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An analysis of maladaptive behaviors in persons with autism, PDD-NOS, and mental retardation.

In this study, we examined three maladaptive behaviors, self-injurious behavior (SIB), stereotypies, and aggression in adults with autism, pervasive developmental disorder, not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), and mental retardation. We used a brief functional analysis rating scale. The Questions About Behavioral Functions (QABF), to examine the function of each behavior. Across the three groups, our results indicated that aggression was primarily maintained for attentional reasons and stereotypies for nonsocial reasons. No specific function(s) were found to maintain SIB. These results suggest that the function of a maladaptive behavior may be associated more with the particular maladaptive behavior displayed rather than inclusion in a certain diagnostic group. Implications of findings for assessment and treatment issues are discussed.

Adult↗