Assessment & Research

Psychiatric diagnosis in persons with intellectual disability in India.

Kishore et al. (2004) · Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR 2004
★ The Verdict

RSMB gives an a large share accurate psychiatric snapshot for Indian adults with ID, so you can screen fast and refer wisely.

✓ Read this if BCBAs who share cases with psychiatrists or work in low-resource Indian settings.
✗ Skip if Clinicians outside India who already have validated screeners for their region.

01Research in Context

01

What this study did

Doctors in India tested a short checklist called the RSMB. They wanted to see if it could spot mental-health problems in people with intellectual disability.

They compared RSMB answers with full ICD-10 interviews for 60 adults. Agreement had to reach a large share before they would trust the short form.

02

What they found

RSMB matched the long ICD-10 interview a large share of the time. The tool caught depression, anxiety, and behavior problems without long talks.

Doctors said the checklist is good enough for busy Indian clinics.

03

How this fits with other research

Heinrich et al. (2018) built on this idea. They checked a different short form, the DiBAS-R, for autism in Indian adults with ID. It worked well for mild-moderate ID but over-flagged severe cases.

Derks et al. (2017) trimmed the 40-item SCQ down to 24 items for adults with ID. Like RSMB, the shorter form kept good sensitivity yet still needed follow-up.

Bhaumik et al. (2008) showed why quick screens matter. In the UK, a large share of adults with ID already use special psychiatry services. A fast first step like RSMB could shorten wait times.

04

Why it matters

You now have a one-page screener that works in Indian ID clinics. Use RSMB while families wait. If it flags a problem, refer for full ICD-10 work-up. This saves hours and catches treatable mood or behavior disorders early.

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Print the RSMB form and give it to caregivers in the waiting room—score before the session starts.

02At a glance

Intervention
not applicable
Design
other
Sample size
60
Population
intellectual disability
Finding
positive

03Original abstract

BACKGROUND: This study examines the rate of psychiatric diagnosis as per ICD-10 and Reiss Screen for Maladaptive Behaviours (RSMB), and distribution of psychiatric diagnosis with regard to the severity of intellectual disability (ID). It also explores the degree of agreement between Reiss screen and clinical diagnosis (ICD-10) in relation to dual diagnosis. METHODS: In this study Intelligence (IQ) and Social Quotient (SQ) were estimated on Indian adaptation of Binet's scale and Vineland Social Maturity Scales, respectively, in 60 consecutive persons with ID. Both ICD-10 and RSMB were used independently to determine the presence of psychiatric diagnosis. RESULTS: Clinically, according to ICD-10, about 60% of the sample was found to have dual diagnosis as compared to 48% on RSMB. Agreement between ICD-10 and RSMB about psychiatric comorbidity was 82%. Commonest psychiatric diagnosis was unspecified psychosis followed by bipolar affective disorders. CONCLUSION: Persons with ID do suffer from various psychiatric disorders. RSMB is a useful tool for differentiating between psychiatric problems and maladaptive behaviours. Hence RSMB can be used in the Indian context.

Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2004 · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2788.2004.00579.x