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Query: UMLS:C0025362 (mental retardation)
 15,878 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The purpose of this review has been to examine the hypothesis that the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), formerly also referred to as the Hyperactive Syndrome or Minimal Brain Dysfunction (MBD), is a precursor of criminality and abuse of alcohol and illicit drugs. This has been done by reviewing findings from follow-ups. Most reviewed projects suffer from methodological weakness. In most materials, few if any of the cases had ADHD according to present criteria. Some had ADHD and conduct problems. Many probably had exclusively conduct problems, but were too young to fulfill the criteria of Conduct Disorder (CD). Methodological limitations of the examined projects have been pointed out. It has been discussed how weaknesses regarding research design might have influenced the results. As a consequence of methodological shortcomings of most projects, the reviewed studies do not give definite answers. However, they show some rather convincing trends. By early adulthood, ADHD appears to remain present in at least one third of the subjects. Subjects with prior ADHD did not have more mental problems than controls in adolescence and early adulthood, provided they had normal intelligence, and no additional disabilities or mental disorders. Those with mental retardation, cerebral dysfunction or psychosis in addition to ADHD have a poor prognosis. A high percent become psychotic, and some end up in institutions. Although there seems to be an increased rate of delinquency and lawbreaking in prior hyperactives compared to controls, these differences disappear when the results are analyzed. The initially impressive differences between cases and controls are probably consequences of bias. Cases with a childhood history of conduct and educational problems have been compared to controls without a history of such problems. Thus, the reported differences are not related to ADHD. Hyperactives without conduct problems do not have an increased frequency of delinquency. Problems of conduct, CD and Antisocial Personality Disorder, but not psychosis characterize cases with a childhood history of conduct problems (with or without ADHD). In subjects with ADHD as well as conduct problems in childhood, conduct problems and not ADHD predict the prognosis, which is worse than for those with CD without ADHD. ADHD combined with delinquency indicates a high rate of subsequent lawbreaking. Usually, cases have more problems than controls with alcohol and illicit drugs, but this might be the consequence of selection of cases (subjects with school and conduct problems) and controls (subjects without such problems).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
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PMID:Follow-ups of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Review of literature. 164 37

Although excessive population has long been a dilemma in certain areas of the world, current rates of growth present a global threat to all nations. Arguments based on economics, world peace, individual freedom, humanism and the preservation of life's amenities all point to the urgent need for programs to control birth rates. This applies to the United States also, although we have the advantage of a relatively high cultural and economic level from which to attack the problem. Modern psychiatry is increasingly committed to the Community Mental Health concept, which in part implies greater involvement with the element of the population that is socially and economically at a disadvantage. Effective treatment cannot ignore the effects on the patient of intolerable reality situations, often produced by successive unwanted pregnancies. In addition, a positive approach to family planning by psychiatrists and social workers will provide the structure needed for truly preventive psychiatry; as our knowledge of the determinants of psychosis, delinquency and mental retardation expands, selective counseling can do much to prevent these family and social tragedies. Both as world citizens and as practitioners of a profession, psychiatrists cannot afford to delay pledging their resources to the solution of so compelling a problem.
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PMID:Community psychiatry and the population explosion. 603 86

Although competence to stand trial is perhaps the most studied area of mental health law, most of the research has been focused on adults. This study describes a population of 471 juveniles committed for treatment/habilitation and restoration of their competence to proceed in the delinquency process. This population differed from their adult counterparts in important ways. For example, 58 percent of the juveniles had a diagnosis of mental retardation, and 57 percent of the juveniles with an Axis I diagnosis also had a diagnosis of conduct disorder. Only 17 percent had a diagnosed psychotic disorder. Diagnoses among cohorts of adults found incompetent differ markedly. However, similar to adult defendants who are adjudicated incompetent to proceed, the majority of these children were returned to court after treatment staff determined that they were competent to proceed. Contrary to expectation, there were no significant age-related differences with respect to the recommendation of clinical staff regarding restoration of competence. The data suggest the need for further research examining that subset of children in the juvenile justice system whose competence to proceed is questionable.
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PMID:Juveniles adjudicated incompetent to proceed: a descriptive study of Florida's Competence Restoration program. 1178 14

To examine the behavioral and emotional difficulties of 73 children and adolescents with Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS), mental retardation-only, and dual diagnosis (i.e., mental retardation and psychiatrically disordered) on the Devereux Scales of Mental Disorders (DSMD: Naglieri, LeBuffe, & Pfeiffer, Devereux Scales of Mental Disorders (DSMD) San Antonio, TX: PsychCorp 1994). Multivariate analyses and "Italic">d-ratios were computed to assess the statistical and clinically meaningful differences between pairs of samples. The PWS sample exhibited statistically significant higher levels of psychopathology than the mentally-retarded-only sample on the Total, Externalizing, Internalizing, Attention/Delinquency, Conduct, Anxiety, and Acute Problems Scales. When compared to the dually-diagnosed sample, children with PWS Syndrome had comparable levels of psychopathology, but lower levels of depression. Results revealed that PWS represents a highly unique and complex psychological disorder with multiple areas of disturbances.
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PMID:Behavioral and emotional symptoms of children and adolescents with Prader-Willi Syndrome. 1694 Dec 27