Scaling methods to measure psychopathology in persons with intellectual disabilities

Johnny L Matson; Brian C Belva; Megan A Hattier; Michael L Matson

doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2011.10.023

Scaling methods to measure psychopathology in persons with intellectual disabilities

Res Dev Disabil. 2012 Mar-Apr;33(2):549-62. doi: 10.1016/j.ridd.2011.10.023. Epub 2011 Nov 24.

Authors

Johnny L Matson¹, Brian C Belva, Megan A Hattier, Michael L Matson

Affiliation

¹ Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA. johnmatson@aol.com

PMID: 22119704
DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2011.10.023

Abstract

Psychopathology prior to the last four decades was generally viewed as a set of problems and disorders that did not occur in persons with intellectual disabilities (ID). That notion now seems very antiquated. In no small part, a revolutionary development of scales worldwide has occurred for the assessment of emotional problems in persons with ID. The first standardized test to emerge was the Psychopathology Instrument for Mentally Retarded Adults (PIMRA) in 1984. Since that time, an impressive number of measures of general psychopathology have emerged for adults and children as well as for persons across the full range of levels of ID. The purpose of this review was to provide a description of available measures, to review papers published on these measures, and to discuss emerging trends in test development. The trends in this body of information for enhancing differential diagnosis of psychopathology in persons with ID are discussed.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Adult
Anxiety Disorders / diagnosis
Anxiety Disorders / psychology
Child
Depressive Disorder / diagnosis
Depressive Disorder / psychology
Diagnosis, Differential
Humans
Intellectual Disability / diagnosis*
Intellectual Disability / psychology*
Mental Disorders / diagnosis*
Mental Disorders / psychology
Psychiatric Status Rating Scales*
Schizophrenia / diagnosis