Prevalence of self-injurious behaviors in a large state facility for the retarded: A three-year follow-up study

Abstract

A combined informant questionnaire and interview survey of self-injurious behavior (SIB) at a large state facility for the retarded was conducted independently three times over a 3-year period. Prevalence consistently was about 10% of the population. SIB cases tended to be younger and institutionalized longer than the rest of the population. Severe cases had a longer history of chronic SIB. SIB cases had more seizure disorders, severe language handicaps, visual impairments, and severe or profound retardation than the rest of the population. They appeared to fulfill most of the Rutter (1966) criteria for autism. But unlike the severely autistic, there was little relation of sex to incidence of SIB. Over 90% of SIB cases changed status over 3 years, suggesting that SIB was amenable to behavior modification in most cases (94%). Psychotropic behavior control medications helped in some intervention programs (32%). SIB remitted spontaneously in 21% of SIB cases where there had been no behavioral or drug intervention.

Self-neglect of spinal injured patients

“…Self injurious behaviour has been linked to central neurochemical alterations (Dahlin et ai., 1985) and acute spinal cord injury may result in catecholamine fluctuations (Alderman et ai., 1980) thus theoretically, spinal cord injury, major depressive episodes and self-injurious behaviour may possess a common neurochemical pathway. The efficacy of medications in reducing self-injurious behaviour, not associated with depressive illness, has produced varying results (Schroeder, 1978). Depressive self-neglect has an excellent prognosis and should be an avoidable adversity during the rehabilitation of spinal injured patients.…”

Temporal patterns of self-injurious behavior correlate with stress hormone levels in the developmentally disabled

“…Estimations of the prevalence of SIB have been reported to be as high as 66% among institutionalized individuals with severe DD (Schroeder et al, 1978;Rojahn, 1984;Griffin et al, 1986). Although recent years have seen a dramatic increase in research on the topic, there still exists no clear consensus regarding the transitory causes or 'triggers' (social or biological) or developmental course of SIB in this population.…”

Unusual devastating self-injurious behaviour in a patient with a severe learning disability: treatment with citalopram

“…Prevalence studies of self-injurious behaviour in people with learning disability revealed rates of 2-4% for adults in the community and 8-15% among residents in specialised institutions (Maisto et al, 1978;Schroeder et al, 1978;Rojahn, 1984;Kebbon & Windahl, 1986). A chronic course of self-injury has been reported, especially in individuals with serious impulsive aggressive behaviour (Kebbon & Windahl, 1986;Schroeder et al, 1986;Murphy et al, 1993;Kiernan & Alborz, 1996).…”