Abstract
The relationship between adolescent adjustment problems and different family environments was examined in 25 mildly retarded individuals. Analysis of the data revealed that those from supportive families were the least likely to experience serious behavior disturbances. When they did, as in the case of those from homes in which dependency was encouraged, it was most likely to be a form of emotional disturbance. Those from families characterized by conflict were most likely to act out and adopt antisocial forms of behavior. Factors in each of the family situations which may have had a shaping effect on the adjustment patterns were elaborated.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ackerman NW and Behrens MD: A study of family diagnosis.American Journal of Orthopsychiatry 26: 66–78, 1956.
Abramson M, Ash MJ and Nash WR: Handicapped adolescents: A time for reflection.Adolescence: 557–566, 1979.
Beier DC: Behavioral disturbances in the mentally retarded. In Stevens HA and Heber R (Eds.).Mental retardation: A Review of Research. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1964.
Bialer, I: Relation of mental retardation to emotional disturbance and physical disability. In Haywood HC (Ed.)Socio-Cultural Aspects of Mental Retardation. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1970.
Chess S: Evolution of behavior disorder in a group of mentally retarded childrenJournal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry 16: 4–18, 1977.
Crnic KA, Friedrich WN, and Greenberg MT: Adaptations of families with mentally retarded children: A model of stress, coping, and family ecology,American Journal of Mental Deficiency 87: 484–497, 1983.
Erikson EH:Childhood and Society (second edition). New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc, 1963.
Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry.Normal Adolescence: Its Dynamics and Impact. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1968.
Hirsch EA: The adaptive significance of commonly described behavior of the mentally retarded.American Journal of Mental Deficience 63: 639–646, 1959.
Irwin EM:Growing Pains. Plymouth, England: MacDonald & Evans LTD, 1977.
Kinder EF and Rutherford EJ: Social adjustment of retarded children.Mental Hygiene 11: 811–833, 1927.
Koller H, Richardson SA, Katz M and McLaren J: Behavior disturbance since childhood in a five-year birth cohort of all mentally retarded young adults in a city.American Journal of Mental Deficiency 87: 386–395, 1983.
Koller H, Richardson SA, Katz M and McLaren J (in press): Behavior disturbance in childhood and the early adult years in populations who were and were not mentally retarded.Journal of Preventive Psychiatry.
MacMillan D:Mental Retardation in School and Society. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1977.
Mead M:Coming of Age in Samoa. New York: William Morrow, 1928.
Mink IT, Meyers CE and Nihira K: Taxonomy of family lifestyles: II. Homes with slowlearning children.American Journal of Mental Deficiency 89: 111–123, 1984.
Moos RH and Moos BS: A typology of family social environments.Family Process 151: 357–371, 1976.
Newman BM and Newman PR:An Introduction to The Psychology of Adolescence. Homewood, Illinois: The Dorsey Press 1979.
Olson DH, Sprenkle D and Russell C: Circumplex model of marital and family systems: I. Cohesion and adaptability dimensions, family types and clinical applications.Family Process 18: 3–28, 1979.
Nihira K, Meyers CE and Mink IT: Home environment, family adjustment, and the development of mentally retarded children.Applied Research in Mental Retardation 1: 5–24, 1980.
Paulson MJ and Stone D: Specialist-professional intervention: An expanding role in the care and treatment of the retarded and their families. In Eyman RK, Meyers CE and Tarjan G (Eds.),Socio-behavioral Studies in Mental Retardation (Monograph No. 1). Washington, D.C.: American Association on Mental Deficiency, 1973.
Sigman M (in press): Psychotherapy with mentally retarded children and adolescents. In Sigman M (Ed.),Children with Dual Disabilities: Mental Retardation and Emotional Disorder. New York: Grune and Stratton.
Szymanski LS: Psychiatric diagnostic evaluation of mentally retarded individuals.Journal of American Academy of Child Psychiatry 16: 67–87, 1977.
Tarjan G: Mental retardation and clinical psychiatry. In Mittler P (Ed.)Research to Practice in Mental Retardation. Vol. I., Baltimore Md.: University Park Press, 1977.
White KM and Speisman JC:Adolescence, Monterey, California: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company, 1977.
Winik L, Zetlin AG and Kaufman SZ (in press): Adult mildly retarded persons and their parents: The relationship between involvement and adjustment.Applied Research in Mental Retardation.
Zetlin AG and Turner JL (in press): Coping with adolescence: Perspectives of retarded individuals and their family.American Journal of Mental Deficiency.
Zetlin AG, Weisner T and Gallimore R (in press): Diversity, shared functioning and the role of benefactors: A study of parenting by retarded persons. In Thurman K (Ed.).Children of Handicapped Parents: Research and Perspectives. New York: Academic Press.
Zigler EF and Harter S: The socialization of the mentally retarded. In Goslin DA (Ed.),Handbook of Socialization Theory and Research. Chicago: Rand McNally and Company, 1969.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This research was supported by NICHD Grant HD 11944 to the Sociobehavioral Research Group, Mental Retardation Research Center, UCLA
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Zetlin, A.G. Mentally retarded teenagers: Adolescent behavior disturbance and its relation to family environment. Child Psych Hum Dev 15, 243–254 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00706368
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00706368