Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-xtgtn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-18T19:13:09.067Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Bereavement and grief in adults with learning disabilities

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 January 2018

Sheila Hollins  and
Alexander Esterhuyzen
Sheila Hollins*
Affiliation:
St George's Hospital Medical School
Alexander Esterhuyzen
Affiliation:
St George's Hospital Medical School
*
Department of Psychiatry of Disability, St George's Hospital Medical School, Cranmer Terrace, London SWI7 0RE, Fax: 0181 672 1070; e-mail: s.hollins@sghms.ac.uk
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background

This paper reports the results of the first systematic study of the reaction of people with learning disabilities to bereavement.

Method

A sample of 5O parent-bereaved people with learning disabilities was compared with a matched control group of 50 non-bereaved people. A semi-structured bereavement questionnaire was used along with the following instruments: the Aberrant Behaviour Checklist (ABC), the Psychopathology Instrument for Mentally Retarded Adults (PIMRA) and the Life Events Checklist.

Results

Highly significant differences are demonstrated between bereaved and non-bereaved samples on both the total scores and most of the subscores of the ABC and PIMRA. Staff and carers did not usually attribute behaviour problems to the bereavement and its concomitant life events, nor was there a recognition of psychopathology due to bereavement.

Conclusions

The impact in terms of psychiatric and behavioural morbidity of loss of a parent, with its concomitant life events, in adults with learning disabilities has been underestimated.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 170 , Issue 6 , June 1997 , pp. 497 - 501
Copyright
Copyright © 1997 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aman, M. G., Singh, N. N., Stewart, A. W., et al (1985) The Aberrant Behaviour Checklist: a behaviour rating scale for the assessment of treatment effects. American Journal of Mental Deficiency, 89, 485–491.Google ScholarPubMed
Bicknell, J. (1983) The psychopathology of handicap. British Journal of Medical Psychology, 56, 167–178.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brelstaff, K. (1984) Reactions to death: can the mentally handicapped grieve: the experience of some who did. Teaching and Training, 22, 1–17.Google Scholar
Farmer, R., Rohde, J. & Sacks, B. (1993) Changing Services for People with Learning Disabilities. London: Chapman & Hall.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fraser, W. I., Leudar, I., Gray, J., et al (1985) Psychiatric and behavioural disturbance in mental handicap. Journal of Mental Deficiency Research, 30, 49–57.Google Scholar
Helsel, W. J. & Matson, J. L. (1988) The relationship of depression to social skills and intellectual functioning in mentally retarded adults. Journal of Mental Deficiency Research, 32, 411–418.Google Scholar
Hollins, S. & Sireling, L. (1991) Working through Loss with People who have Learning Disability. Windsor: NFER-Nelson.Google Scholar
Kloeppel, D. A. & Hollins, S. (1989) Double handicap: mental retardation and death in the family. Death Studies, 13, 31–38.Google Scholar
McLoughlin, I. J. (1986) Care of the dying. Bereavement in the mentally handicapped. British Journal of Hospital Medicine, 36, 256–260.Google Scholar
Matson, J. L. (1988) The PIMRA Manual. Orland Park. IL: International Diagnostic Systems. Inc.Google Scholar
Matson, J. L., Kazdin, A. E. & Senatore, V. (1984) Psychometric properties of the Psychopathology Instrument for Mentally Retarded Adults. Applied Research in Mental Retardation, 5, 81–89.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Oswin, M. (1991) Am I Allowed to Cry? A Study of Bereavement amongst People who have Learning Difficulties. London: Human Horizons.Google Scholar
Parkes, C. M. (1972) Bereavement: Studies of Grief in Adult Life. London: Penguin.Google Scholar
Reiss, S., Levitan, G. W. & Szyszko, J. (1982) Emotional disturbance and mental retardation: diagnostic oversha-dowing. American Journal of Mental Deficiency, 86, 567–574.Google Scholar
Sovner, R. & Lowry, M. (1991) The functional significance of problems behaviour: a key to effective treatment. The Habilitative Mental Healthcare Newsletter, 10, 59–63.Google Scholar
Stack, L., Haldipur, M. D. & Thompson, M. (1987) Stressful life events and psychiatric hospitalisation of mentally retarded patients. American Journal of Psychiatry, 144, 661–663.Google Scholar
Stroebe, M. S., Stroebe, W. & O'Hansson, R. (1993) Handbook of Bereavement: Theory, Research and Intervention. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.