Prevalence of speech and language disorders in a mental illness unit

Abstract

SA survey was conducted to investigate the prevalence of speech and language problems in people receiving care from the Mental Health Unit of a District Health Authority. A screening assessment was devised with the aim of detecting difficulties with receptive and expressive language, voice, articulation and fluency, by use of modified standardised tests and subjective ratings. All in-patients who had been in hospital for longer than six months were screened, as were all day patients attending the Integrated Rehabilitation Workshop in the hospital grounds and a random sample of patients attending two day centres in the community. Results showed that moderate or severe difficulties in at least one aspect of speech and language was present in over two-thirds of the 138 people assessed. The most common problems occurred in the tests of comprehension and naming. A quarter of those assessed had problems with spontaneous speech. Problems with voice, articulation and fluency were less common. The limitations on the information obtained due to the nature of the population considered and the assessment procedure, and the implications of the findings for the management of patients are discussed. Une enquite a e'tt faite sur la fre'quence des difficultis de Iangage et d'e'locution chez les sujets soigne's par I'unitk de sante' mentale d'une administration de district britannique de la sante' publique. En utilisant des tests standardise's modifie's et des estimations subjectives, une &valuation de dkpistage a permis de de'tecter les difficulte's de Iangage rkceptif et expressif; de voix, d'articulation et de fluidite' verbale. Tous les malades hospitalise's depuis plus de 6 mois ont kte' e'value's, ainsi que tous les patients externes suivis par l'atelier de re'adaptation intkgre' dans l'enceinte de l'h6pita1, et qu'un kchantillon au hasard de patients suivis par les deux centres de jour du district. Les rksultats ont re've'le' l'existence de difficultks moyennes ou se'vlres chez plus des deux tiers des 136 personnes kvalutes, en ce qui concernait nu rnoins un aspect du langage et de I'klocution. Les probllmes les plus frkquents avaient trait aux tests de cornpre'hension et de de'signation. Un quart des sujets avaient des dificculte's d'e'locution spontante. Les proble'mes de voix, d'articulation et de fluidite' ttaient moins frkquents. La discussion porte sur les limites des renseignments obtenus, dues ci la nature de la population ktudie'e et ci la mkthode de l'enqulte, et sur ce que les rksultats laksent entrevoir en ce qui concerne l'encerdrement des patients. Eine Umfrage wurde durchgefuhrt, u m die Haufigkeit von Sprech-und Sprechschwierigkeiten unter den Menchen festzustellen, die bei der psychiatrischen Abteilung einer regionalen Gesundsheitsbehode (Mental Health Unit of a District Health Authority) in Behandlung sind. Ein Uberpriifungsverfahren wurde mit dem Ziel entwickelt, rezeptive und expressive Sprachschwierigkeiten sowie Stimm-, Artikulations-und Sprechflufiprobleme aufzedecken. Modifizierte Standardtes...

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