Some studies in an institution for the mentally retarded

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Developmental Disabilities
• Clinical Pharmacy

Background:

• Investigated patient characteristics and psychotropic medication patterns in a long-term care facility for individuals with intellectual disabilities.
• Highlighted the prevalence of long-term residency, with 80% of patients residing in the hospital for five years or more.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize patients with intellectual disabilities and analyze their psychotropic drug usage for behavioral control.
• To assess the impact of psychotropic medication on behavior in this population.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of patient demographics, residency duration, and visiting patterns.
• Examination of psychotropic medication types, dosages, and administration frequency, including antipsychotics (phenothiazines, butyrophenones).
• Observation of behavioral changes in a subgroup of patients after medication withdrawal (non-blinded).

Main Results:

• Forty percent of patients were on psychotropic medication, with most receiving multiple antipsychotics.
• Medications were often administered multiple times daily, despite being long-acting.
• Behavioral deterioration was observed in nearly all patients when medication was withdrawn, though findings require caution due to the non-blinded nature of the observation.

Conclusions:

• A significant proportion of patients with intellectual disabilities in this facility were treated with multiple psychotropic medications.
• The effectiveness of these medications for long-term behavioral control warrants further investigation, particularly given the observed behavioral changes upon withdrawal.
• The study underscores the need for careful consideration and further research into psychotropic drug use in institutionalized individuals with intellectual disabilities.