A Study of Co-Morbidity in Mental Retardation

Mental retardation (MR) is a condition of arrested or incomplete development of the mind, characterized by impairment of skills (cognitive, language, motor and social) manifested during the developmental period, which contribute to overall level of intelligence. Intellectual Disability is a more precise term (used in DSM-V). MR is an etiological factor for development of various co-morbidities, which account for substantial burden of the disease. However, the extent of this co-occurrence varies substantially between reports. Aim: To study the prevalence of psychiatric and medical comorbidity, among different degrees of Mental Retardation. Settings and Design: This is a cross-sectional, singlecentered study conducted at the out patient department of Psychiatry, Maharajah’s Institute Of Medical Sciences. Material & Methods : Sixty-three persons, who came for disability certification, were diagnosed with MR as per ICD-10 criteria, The Wechsler’s Adult Intelligence Scale – IV and The Developmental Screening Test for IQ and Vineland Social Maturity Scale for SQ assessment were used. Psychiatric and medical co-morbidities were diagnosed, using clinical examination, laboratory investigation, the ICD-10 Diagnostic criteria and CHA-PAS SCALE. Statistical Analysis : The statistical analysis was done by using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 13.0 version. Frequency, percentages and chi square analysis were used to analyze the data. Result : Out of 63, 40 were found to have medical co-morbidity, while 38 were found to have psychiatric co-morbidity. Severe and profound MR was almost always associated with medical co-morbidities, while mild to moderate MR with psychiatric illness. Different co-morbid disorders were analyzed and discussed. Conclusions : Evaluation and diagnosis of co-morbid disorder in different degrees of MR is of paramount importance in order to modify treatment schedules and improve the patient outcomes.