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.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bayley M (1973) Mental handicap and community care. A study of mentally handicapped people in Sheffield. Routledge and Kegan Paul, London
Birch HG, Richardson SA, Baird D, Horobin G, Illsley R (1970) Mental subnormality in the community. A clinical and epidemiological study. Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore
Bondy C, Cohen R, Eggert D, Loer G (1971) Testbatterie für geistig behinderte Kinder (TBGB). Beltz, Weinheim
Clare AW, Cairns VF (1978) Design, development and use of a standardized interview to assess social maladjustment and dysfunction in community studies. Psychol Med 8: 589–604
Cooper B, Liepmann MC, Marker KR, Schieber PM (1979) Definition of severe mental retardation in school-age children. Findings of an epidemiological study. Soc Pschiatry 14: 197–205
Cooper B, Ort M (1983) Clinical and social characteristics of severely mentally retarded school-age children in Mannheim. In: Schmidt MH, Remschmidt H (eds) Epidemiological approaches in child psychiatry, Vol II. Thieme, Stuttgart, pp 151–162
Corbett J (1981) Prevention of mental retardation. In: Cooper B (ed) Assessing the handicaps and needs of mentally retarded children. Academic Press, London
Drillien CM, Jameson S, Wilkinson EM (1966) Studies in mental handicap, Part I: Prevalence and distribution by clinical type and severity of defect. Arch Dis Child 47: 528–538
Dupont A (1981) Definition and identification of severe mental retardation. In: Cooper B (ed) Assessing the handicaps and needs of mentally retarded children. Academic Press, London
Fryers T (1978) Severe mental handicap: the dynamics of prevalence. Epidemiology in an English city, 1961–1977. Unpublished Ph. D. Thesis, University of Manchester
Garber H, Heber FR (1977) The Milwaukee project. In: Mittler P, de Jong JM (eds) Research to practice in mental retardation, Vol 1: Care and intervention. University Park Press, Baltimore
Gasser T, Verleger R, Möcks J, BÄcher P, Lederer WM (1981) The EEG patterns of mildly retarded children: clinical and quantitative findings. In: Cooper B (ed) Assessing the handicaps and needs of mentally retarded children. Academic Press, London
Jarvis E (1866) Influence of distance from and nearness to an insane hospital on its use by the people. Am J Insanity 22: 361–368
Kleining G (1975) Soziale MobilitÄt in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland. II. Status oder Prestige-MobilitÄt. Köln Z Soziol Sozialpsychol 27: 273–292
Kushlick A, Blunden R (1974) The epidemiology of mental subnormality. In: Clarke AM, Clarke ADB (eds) Mental deficiency — the changing outlook, 3rd ed. Methuen, London
Lemkau PV, Tietze C, Cooper M (1943) Mental hygiene problems in an urban district. IV. Ment Hygiene 27: 279–295
Lewis EO (1929) Report of an investigation into the incidence of mental deficiency in six areas, 1925–1927. Report of the Mental Deficiency Committee, Part 4. HMSO, London
Liepmann MC (1979) Geistig behinderte Kinder und Jugendliche. Zeitschrift für Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie, Beiheft 4. Bern, Huber
Maier E (1977) GegenwÄrtiger Stand der Mütter- und SÄuglingssterblichkeit im nationalen und internationalen Vergleich. Folgerungen für den Aufgabenkatalog des öffentlichen Gesundheitsdienstes. öffentl Gesundheitswes 39: 525–536
Martindale A (1980) The distribution of the mentally handicapped between districts of a large city. Br J Ment Subnorm 26: 9–20
Moore H, Kleining G (1960) Das soziale Selbstbild der Gesellschaft in Deutschland. Köln Z Soziol Sozialpsychol 12: 86–119
Penrose LS (1938) A clinical and genetical study of 1280 cases of mental defect. Special Reports Series of the Medical Research Council, No 229. HMSO, London
Stein ZA, Susser MW (1960) Families of dull children: II. Identifying family types and subcultures. J Ment Sci 106: 1296–1303
Treimann DJ (1975) Problems of concept and measurement in the comparative study of occupational mobility. Soc Sci Res 4: 183–230
Wilkin D (1979) Caring for the mentally handicapped child. Croom Helm, London
Wing L (1981) A schedule for deriving profiles of handicap in mentally retarded children. In: Cooper B (ed) Assessing the handicaps and needs of mentally retarded children. Academic Press, London
Wing L (1982) Personal communication
World Health Organization (1978) Mental disorders: glossary and guide to their classification in accordance with the 9th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases. WHO, Geneva
Wynn M, Wynn A (1979) Prevention of handicaps and the health of women. Routledge and Kegan Paul, London
Younghusband E, Birchall D, Davie R, Kellmer Pringle ML (1976) Living with handicap. National Bureau for Co-operation in Child Care, London
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Cooper, B., Lackus, B. The social-class background of mentally retarded children. A study in Mannheim. Soc Psychiatry 19, 3–12 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00583856
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00583856