A prospective analysis of life events, problem behaviours and depression in adults with intellectual disability.
Bad life events predict later behavior and mood problems in adults with ID—screen early and act fast.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team followed the adults with intellectual disability for one year. Every three months they asked about life events like moves, job loss, or bereavement. They also tracked behavior problems and depression scores.
No treatment was given. The goal was to see if bad events came before worsening mood or behavior.
What they found
After a negative life event, both behavior problems and depression scores went up. The jump was small but real, and it showed up on two different checklists.
The effect was strongest in the first three months after the event.
How this fits with other research
Matson et al. (2008) pooled this study with others and reached the same verdict: life events matter. Their review treats the current paper as key evidence.
Fullana et al. (2007) snapped a single-time picture and also saw that more life events went hand-in-hand with higher depression. The new study adds the time order—events first, symptoms later.
Lunsky et al. (2011) widened the lens. They show that after life events, adults with ID end up in the emergency room for crisis care. Together the papers trace a line: event → mood/behavior spike → possible ED visit.
Why it matters
You already watch for behavior spikes. Now add a quick life-events check to your intake or quarterly review. Ask about moves, job changes, caregiver turnover, or loss of a loved one. If any hit in the last 90 days, boost coping skills, schedule extra check-ins, and consider a mood screen. Early steps may stop a full crisis later.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Add three quick questions to your session note: Any move, job change, or loss in the past three months? If yes, run a brief mood check and schedule a booster visit within two weeks.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Life events have consistently been found to be associated with behaviour problems and depression among individuals with intellectual disability (ID). However, prior findings have typically been based on correlational or retrospective analyses of case files. The current study attempted to replicate prior findings from life events with concurrent data and extend them to the prospective prediction of behaviour problems and depression. The influence of impact ratings of life events was also explored. METHODS: Seventy-four informants rated 104 adults with ID on measures of life events, behaviour problems and depressive symptoms. Life events were rated as having either a positive, negative or no impact on the life of the individual with ID. Measures were completed twice, at a 4-month interval. RESULTS: Behaviour problems were both correlated with and predicted by frequency counts of life events and life events perceived as negative. However, the predictive ability depended on which measure of problem behaviour was selected. Positive life events were not associated with concurrent behaviour problems. Depressive symptoms were correlated with all life changes, but only predicted by frequency counts of life events and life events perceived as negative. Again, the predictive ability depended on which measure of depression was selected. Findings were corroborated with a group of individuals with clinical diagnoses of major depression. CONCLUSIONS: Frequency counts of all life events and life events perceived as negative play a role in the development of behaviour problems and depressive symptoms among adults with ID. The results have implications for interventions for behaviour problems following a life event, and for reducing depressive symptoms for adults with mild ID.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2006 · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2788.2005.00816.x