Elsevier

Research in Developmental Disabilities

Volume 28, Issue 1, January–February 2007, Pages 59-70
Research in Developmental Disabilities

Early detection of depression and associated risk factors in adults with mild/moderate intellectual disability

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2005.11.001Get rights and content

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the presentation and risk factors for depression in adults with mild/moderate intellectual disability (ID). A sample of 151 adults (83 males and 68 females) participated in a semi-structured interview. According to results on the Beck Depression Inventory II, 39.1% of participants evinced symptoms of depression (2 severe, 14 moderate, and 43 mild). Sadness, self-criticism, loss of energy, crying, and tiredness appeared to be the most frequent indicators of depression or risk for depression. A significant difference was found between individuals with and without symptoms of depression on levels of automatic negative thoughts, downward social comparison and self-esteem. Automatic negative thoughts, quality and frequency of social support, self-esteem, and disruptive life events significantly predicted depression scores in people with mild/moderate ID, accounting for 58.1% of the variance.

Section snippets

Participants

The sample consisted of 151 adults (83 males and 68 females) with mild/moderate ID. Participants ranged in age from 19 to 68 years (M = 36.17, S.D. = 10.59) and were recruited through vocational and supported employment services. These services variously provide employment preparation, training, and light assembly line factory work for people with mild/moderate ID. The managers confirmed that participants met the criteria for mild/moderate ID from records on file at the agency. Language and

Demographics

The majority of participants lived with their parents or guardians (39.1%). Forty participants (26.5%) lived in supported accommodation, 19 participants (12.6%) lived in an independent share house, 18 participants (11.9%) lived alone, 11 participants (7.3%) lived with their partners, and 4 participants (2.6%) lived with siblings.

Frequent social contact with friends and family members was reported by 44.4% of participants. Fifty participants (33.1%) reported having moderate levels of social

Discussion

Self-reported symptoms of depression were identified among 39.1% of community-based individuals with mild to moderate intellectual disability according to the recommended cut-off scores for the normal population on the Beck Depression Inventory. The correlation between scores on the BDI-II (Beck, 1996) and the RADS (Reynolds, 1987) confirms current opinion that standard diagnostic criteria are valid for the assessment of depressive symptoms in people with mild to moderate ID (McBrien, 2003),

Acknowledgements

We wish to thank beyondblue: the national depression initiative and the Victorian Centre of Excellence for their generous support of this research.

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