Stress inoculation and interinstitutional transfer of mentally retarded individuals.

Forty-four mentally retarded individuals were studied to determine if relocation syndrome can be averted in interinstitutional transfer. Twenty-two persons who were transferred on a voluntary basis to a small, new, highly staffed facility and given individualized attention in preparation for the move were compared to a group of nontransferred matched control persons on the Progress Assessment Chart and the Maladaptive section of the Adaptive Behavior Scale, Which were administered prior to transfer and 1, 2, and 4 weeks after. The transferred group displayed no lowered functioning in adaptive behavior and no increase in maladaptive behavior. No relocation syndrome was evidenced as prerelocation preparation appears to have averted the deleterious effects of transfer.