A methodological report on household psychometric screening for retardation

Area of Science:

• Community mental health
• Developmental psychology
• Public health research

Background:

• Community surveys are crucial for understanding population health.
• Mental retardation assessment often occurs in clinical settings, not homes.
• In-home testing presents unique methodological challenges and opportunities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe and analyze the methods, challenges, and outcomes of in-home mental testing.
• To provide a model for conducting mental retardation surveys within a community setting.
• To share practical insights for researchers planning similar community-based studies.

Main Methods:

• Conducted in-home mental testing on 409 individuals as part of a community survey.
• Included a random sample of individuals in the lowest 10% of developmental scores.
• Also sampled randomly from all individuals within interviewed households.

Main Results:

• Successfully implemented in-home mental testing, a less common approach in surveys.
• Gathered data on methods, problems encountered, and results from the testing phase.
• Demonstrated the feasibility and value of this testing methodology.

Conclusions:

• In-home mental testing is a viable and valuable component of community surveys.
• The detailed methodology and results can guide future community-wide mental health research.
• This approach offers a more comprehensive understanding of mental retardation within a population.