[Treatment of mentally retarded in psychiatry]

The reform decentralizing the special care of the mentally retarded in Norway has caused concern within the Norwegian psychiatric community. The frequency of psychiatric disturbances and behaviour problems in this population is known to be high, and closing down special institutions may eventually direct more mentally retarded persons to psychiatric hospitals. Behaviour problems like poor communication skills, lack of social skills and self-care, and disruptive behaviours seem to cause more concern than the actual diagnosis. However, the same behaviour problems are found in psychiatric hospital populations, for instance among chronic schizophrenics. From a behaviour modification point of view these behaviours can be treated regardless of diagnosis. The article describes how a psychiatric hospital unit can apply behaviour modification resulting in a better life for an otherwise untreatable patient. It is recommended that behaviour modification techniques should be used concurrently with other methods of treatment used in psychiatry. As well as being potentially helpful to psychiatric patients, behaviour modification techniques will make psychiatry better equipped to treat mentally retarded people in need of psychiatric care.