Personality and trait disturbances in an adult mental retardation population: significance for psychiatric management.

Doctors looked at 384 adults with intellectual disability. They gave each person a full psychiatric work-up to see how many had personality disorders.

The team used interviews, record reviews, and behavior checklists. They wanted to prove that even people with low IQ can be assessed for tricky conditions like borderline or antisocial personality.

Personality disorders showed up a lot. The exact count is not stated, but the authors say the rate is high enough to matter.

The big news: careful, long-term testing works. Staff can spot these disorders if they keep watching and ask questions from several sources.

Howlin et al. (2006) later mapped behaviors to symptoms in 214 adults. They found self-injury and aggression point to mood trouble, not personality issues. Together the papers tell us: first check for mood disorders, then look deeper for personality style.

Rutherford et al. (2003) compared ID and non-ID outpatients. Both groups had high depression rates, but only the ID group got labeled for behavior. This supports B et al.’s call for fuller tests instead of blaming behavior on ID alone.

Einfeld et al. (1996) showed 40 % of kids with ID also have psychiatric illness. The adult numbers in B et al. match that picture: problems start young and stay. Screening should begin in childhood and continue across the lifespan.

If you serve adults with ID, add personality screens to your intake packet. Use at least two sources—direct interview plus caregiver form. Re-assess yearly; traits can shift. Spotting a disorder early guides safer meds and better behavior plans.