Do anxiety disorders exist in persons with severe and profound mental retardation?
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Updated: Nov 2, 2026

Multimodal Protocol for Assessing Metacognition and Self-Regulation in Adults with Learning Difficulties
Published on: September 27, 2020
J L Matson1, B B Smiroldo, M Hamilton
1Department of Pscyhology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge 70803, USA.
Abstract:
Sixty-nine individuals with severe and profound mental retardation were selected from 289 clients and studied for possible anxiety disorders. The validity of the DASH-II anxiety subscale was evaluated to determine its value in categorizing individuals with and without anxiety. Our findings were mixed. Only behavioral symptoms associated with anxiety could be reliably assessed in these individuals. Unfortunately; this ruled out many core symptoms of the disorder. Implications of the findings are discussed.
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