The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

5095.0: Wednesday, November 13, 2002 - 1:30 PM

Abstract #49190

Assessing the interpersonal context of depression in adults with Down syndrome

Sarah H. Ailey, PhD (c), RN, Community and Mental Health Nursing, College of Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Nursing, 845 S. Damen, Chicago, IL 60612, (312) 942 3383, Sarah_H_Ailey@rush.edu, Arlene Miller, PhD, RN, Public Health, Mental Health & Admin. Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago, 845 South Damen, Room 1016, Chicago, IL 60077, Tamar Heller, PhD, RRTC on Aging with Developmental Disabilities, Department of Disability and Human Development, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1640 West Roosevelt Road, Chicago, IL 60608, and Everett Smith, PhD, Education, University of Illinois at Chicago, M/C 147, Chicago, IL 60612.

Improving access and treatment for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) for mental health issues is important for researchers and practitioners. Individuals with ID are frequently referred to psychiatric services for behavior management, and other mental health problems may be ignored. Depression is one of the most common psychiatric problems for individuals with ID. However, little research exists on the interpersonal context of depression in individuals with ID, and the ability of adults with mild and moderate ID to report on themselves is sometimes questioned. Participants are 100 adults with Down syndrome enrolled in the “Exercise Adherence among adults with Down Syndrome” project at the University of Illinois at Chicago and 69 of their family or staff caregivers. Canonical correlation is used to assess the relationship of scores on two self-report measures of depression to scores on self-report measures of loneliness, life satisfaction, and satisfaction with social support, and explains 29.6% of the variance in the relationship of the variables. Rasch psychometric methods, including item order maps of participant and caregiver depression and loneliness scores, are used to assess the relationship of self and informant reports of depression and loneliness. Participants endorse items regarding sadness, loneliness and indicating that no one knows them well than their caregivers endorse about them. Interpersonal models of depression may have benefit in research and treatment of depression in individuals with ID, and the voices of individuals with ID themselves are important to hear.

Learning Objectives:

Keywords: Disability, Mental Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Intellectual Disabilities

The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA