A Dutch version of the Psychopathology Inventory for Mentally Retarded Adults (PIMRA).
The Dutch PIMRA total score is a quick, valid screen for psychopathology in adults with mild ID, but ignore its weak sub-scales.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team translated the PIMRA into Dutch. PIMRA stands for Psychopathology Inventory for Mentally Retarded Adults.
They gave the 56-item form to the adults with mild intellectual disability. Staff who knew the clients well filled it out.
The researchers checked if the Dutch words measured the same seven problem areas as the English original.
What they found
The total score was trustworthy. Internal consistency was 0.87 — that’s good.
Sub-scales were weaker. Inter-rater agreement ranged from 0.45 to 0.68. That’s only fair.
Total scores lined up well with other behavior checklists. Higher PIMRA totals meant more behavior problems seen in daily care.
How this fits with other research
Li et al. (2015) also validated a Dutch tool for adults with developmental disability. Their empathy and systemizing scales showed strong reliability, just like the PIMRA total score.
Hatton et al. (1999) did the same kind of check, but for staff stress instead of client problems. Both studies prove Dutch ID services can produce sound questionnaires when careful steps are followed.
Lyall et al. (2012) found that higher ability toddlers with ASD showed more challenging behavior, while lower ability toddlers without ASD showed less. This warns us: a high PIMRA score in a capable adult may reflect real psychopathology, not just low IQ. Use the total score, not weak sub-scales, to avoid this trap.
Why it matters
You now have a free, 10-minute screen for mental-health red flags in Dutch-speaking adults with mild ID. Use the total score; skip the shaky sub-scales. Pair it with direct observation and a functional assessment before you write your behavior plan.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Eighty-nine mildly mentally retarded adults were assessed using the Psychopathology Inventory for Mentally Retarded Adults (PIMRA). This study reports on the psychometric properties of the PIMRA in a Dutch population, the correlation between self-report and ratings-by-others forms, and the relationship of the PIMRA to both behavior problems and subject characteristics. It was revealed that internal consistency was good for both forms on total scores but modest for most of the subscales. Furthermore, interrater reliability was low to modest. Both forms of the PIMRA showed good criterion validity. The correlation between the two forms was modest. A strong relationship was found between PIMRA scores and behavior problems, as measured using the Reiss Screen of Maladaptive Behavior. Furthermore, the relationship between PIMRA scores and subject characteristics was weak.
Research in developmental disabilities, 1994 · doi:10.1016/0891-4222(94)90007-8