Mortality in a large southeastern facility for persons with mental retardation

Mortality rates for institutionalized persons with mental retardation were presented. Rates were provided for two time intervals, 1974 through 1979 and 1980 through 1985, and by age, race, and gender. Consistent differences between black and white residents or by gender were not indicated. However, significant improvement in mortality did occur between the two time periods. Persons with profound retardation were found to have higher mortality than those whose retardation was mild to severe. Respiratory disease was the most prevalent cause of death among the individuals with profound mental retardation, whereas heart disease and cancer were the most common causes of death among persons with mild, moderate, or severe retardation. Aging of the population was noted over the period of the study, indicative of the increasing frailty of the institutionalized population.