Depression in adolescents with mental retardation: A clinical study

The aim of this paper is to provide some information about assessment and clinical features of depressive disorder in a group of mildly mentally retarded depressed adolescents. 15 mildly mentally retarded adolescents (10 males and 5 female, age range 14.0-19.2, mean age 16.2) fulfilled the DSM IV criteria for depressive episode. An other-report rating scale for depression, the Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) was administered to all the subjects of the sample. All the subjects that met DSM IV diagnostic criteria had at the MADRS a score strongly indicative of depressive disorder. A descriptive analysis of the DSM IV diagnostic criteria and MADRS protocols seems to indicate that some depressive symptoms are particularly frequent; cognitive symptoms (depressive ideation) and functional symptoms (disturbed sleep, appetite, etc.) are less frequent than emotional symptoms (sadness, inner tension) and psychomotor symptoms.