Intermittent drug therapy for profoundly mentally retarded persons

Type of content
Theses / Dissertations
Publisher's DOI/URI
Thesis discipline
Psychology
Degree name
Master of Arts
Publisher
University of Canterbury
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Language
English
Date
1983
Authors
Millichamp, Catherine Jane
Abstract

Many institutionalized mentally retarded persons currently receive maintenance medication for behavior problems. Prolonged use of certain antipsychotic medication can produce adverse side-effects. A doubleĀ­ blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted to assess the effects of intermittent drug therapy. Six profoundly retarded males all of whom had received maintenance antipsychotic medication for more than three years, participated in the study. Formal observations were made across a broad spectrum of subject behaviors during baseline and four subsequent phases of reduced drug dosage. A multiple baseline across subjects design was utilized for this eight-month investigation. No clinically significant effects were found when baseline and subsequent phases were compared. The results suggested that maintenance medication of institutionalized profoundly retarded residents may be reduced substantially without concomitant changes in overall drug effects.

Description
Citation
Keywords
Mental retardation--Chemotherapy, People with mental disabilities--Care
Ngā upoko tukutuku/Māori subject headings
ANZSRC fields of research
Rights
All Rights Reserved