Social psychiatry

, Volume 19, Issue 1, pp 3–12 | Cite as

The social-class background of mentally retarded children. A study in Mannheim

  • Brian Cooper
  • Birgitt Lackus
Childhood Disorders
Accepted:

Summary

Severe forms of mental retardation, in contradistinction to the milder forms, are usually held to be evenly distributed among all social-class groups. A survey of mentally retarded school-age children in Mannheim revealed among the families both of the mildly and of the severely retarded a relative excess of persons of low social status and of those living in the poorer quarters of the city. Although no difference in social-class distribution was found between the two groups, the families of the mildly retarded showed evidence of a less satisfactory level of adaptation, as revealed by family income and living conditions. Both groups manifested a high frequency of social problems. Possible reasons for the observed social-class gradient in the frequency of severe retardation are reviewed, and it is concluded that an aetiological link cannot at present be excluded. There is an urgent need for improved social-support services for the families of mentally retarded children.

Keywords

Social Status Mental Retardation Family Income Social Problem Living Condition 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag 1984

Authors and Affiliations

  • Brian Cooper
    • 1
  • Birgitt Lackus
    • 1
  1. 1.Central Institute of Mental HealthMannheimFRG

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