Cooper S A
Rockingham Forest NHS Trust, St Mary's Hospital, Kettering, Northants.
Br J Psychiatry. 1997 Apr;170:375-80. doi: 10.1192/bjp.170.4.375.
The literature regarding psychiatric illness among elderly people with learning disabilities is limited and conflicting because of methodological differences. There have been no recent studies comparing psychiatric epidemiology between younger and older adults with learning disabilities, using the same methodology and definitions.
Comprehensive psychiatric examination using a semi-structured rating scale was undertaken on everyone with learning disabilities, aged 65 years or over (n = 134), living in a defined geographical area. Comparison was made with a randomly selected control group of adults with learning disabilities aged 20-65 years (n = 73) drawn from the same geographical area.
Elderly people with learning disabilities have a greater prevalence of psychiatric morbidity than younger controls (68.7 v. 47.9%). Rates for depression and anxiety disorders are high, and dementia is common: there are equal rates for schizophrenia/delusional disorders, autism and behaviour disorders in the two groups.
The higher psychiatric morbidity among elderly (compared with younger) people with learning disabilities has not previously received adequate recognition. This warrants further investigation by service planners and clinicians.
由于方法学差异，关于学习障碍老年人精神疾病的文献有限且相互矛盾。目前尚无近期研究采用相同方法和定义比较年轻和年长学习障碍成年人的精神疾病流行病学情况。
对居住在特定地理区域、年龄在65岁及以上的所有学习障碍者（n = 134）进行了使用半结构化评定量表的全面精神检查。与从同一地理区域随机选取的20 - 65岁学习障碍成年人对照组（n = 73）进行了比较。
与年轻对照组相比，学习障碍老年人的精神疾病患病率更高（68.7%对47.9%）。抑郁症和焦虑症的发病率较高，痴呆症很常见：两组中精神分裂症/妄想性障碍、自闭症和行为障碍的发病率相同。
此前，学习障碍老年人（与年轻人相比）较高的精神疾病患病率未得到充分认识。这值得服务规划者和临床医生进一步研究。
