Labeling the Mentally Retarded
Labeling the Mentally Retarded

Author: Jane R. Mercer

Publisher: Univ of California Press

Published: 2023-11-10

Total Pages: 336

ISBN-13: 0520311507

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This eight-year study of an American city traces the answer to the question "Who is retarded?" by analyzing the labeling process in a large number of community agencies. Data for the study are drawn from a representative sample of 7,000 persons under fifty years of age who were tested ans screened for "symptoms" of mental retardation. The author finds that that schools label more persons as mentally retarded than any other agency and share their labels more widely with others in the community. Relying on IQ test scores for diagnosis, schools place many persons with scores above 70 and with no physical disabilities in the role of retardate. The author contends that both the statistical model of "normal" and the unicultural viewpoint of educators and clinicians work to the disadvantage of the poor and the ethnic minorities. Given the opportunity, many persons demonstrate by their ability to cope with the problems in other areas of life that they are not comprehensively incompetent. The author makes serval policy recommendations. First, she suggests lowering the IQ score cutoff point used by schools in determining who shall be labeled as retarded. Second, she recommends that the clinicians use the two-dimensional definition of retardation proposed by the American Association of Mental Deficiency, subnormality in both intellectual performance and adaptive behavior. Third, she concludes that pluralistic assessment procedures must be employed to take into account cultural biases in IQ tests designed to measure cognitive skills. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press's mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1973.

From Idiocy to Mental Deficiency
From Idiocy to Mental Deficiency

Author: Anne Digby

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2002-09-09

Total Pages: 248

ISBN-13: 1134831994

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From Idiocy to Mental Deficiency is the first book devoted to the social history of people with learning disabilities in Britain. Approaches to learning disabilities have changed dramatically in recent years. The implementation of 'Care in the Community', the campaign for disabled rights and the debate over the education of children with special needs have combined to make this one of the most controversial areas in social policy today. The nine original research essays collected here cover the social history of learning disability from the Middle Ages through the establishment of the National Health Service. They will not only contribute to a neglected field of social and medical history but also illuminate and inform current debates. The information presented here will have a profound impact on how professionals in mental health, psychiatric nursing, social work and disabled rights understand learning disability and society's responses to it over the course of history.

Mental Health in Mental Retardation
Mental Health in Mental Retardation

Author: Nick Bouras

Publisher: CUP Archive

Published: 1995-08-24

Total Pages: 420

ISBN-13: 9780521556293

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Dual diagnosis; current and evolving aspects of treatment and service provision are addressed by an interdisciplinary, international team of professionals.

Recovery of People with Mental Illness
Recovery of People with Mental Illness

Author: Abraham Rudnick

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2012-08-30

Total Pages: 344

ISBN-13: 019165499X

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It is only in the past 20 years that the concept of 'recovery' from mental health has been more widely considered and researched. Before then, it was generally considered that 'stability' was the best that anyone suffering from a mental disorder could hope for. But now it is recognised that, throughout their mental illness, many patients develop new beliefs, feelings, values, attitudes, and ways of dealing with their disorder. The notion of recovery from mental illness is thus rapidly being accepted and is inserting more hope into mainstream psychiatry and other parts of the mental health care system around the world. Yet, in spite of conceptual and other challenges that this notion raises, including a variety of interpretations, there is scarcely any systematic philosophical discussion of it. This book is unique in addressing philosophical issues - including conceptual challenges and opportunities - raised by the notion of recovery of people with mental illness. Such recovery - particularly in relation to serious mental illness such as schizophrenia - is often not about cure and can mean different things to different people. For example, it can mean symptom alleviation, ability to work, or the striving toward mental well-being (with or without symptoms). The book addresses these different meanings and their philosophical grounds, bringing to the fore perspectives of people with mental illness and their families as well as perspectives of philosophers, mental health care providers and researchers, among others. The important new work will contribute to further research, reflective practice and policy making in relation to the recovery of people with mental illness.It is essential reading for philosophers of health, psychiatrists, and other mental care providers, as well as policy makers.

Mental Retardation in America
Mental Retardation in America

Author: Steven Noll

Publisher: NYU Press

Published: 2004-02

Total Pages: 524

ISBN-13: 0814782485

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The expressions "idiot, you idiot, you're an idiot, don't be an idiot," and the like are generally interpreted as momentary insults. But, they are also expressions that represent an old, if unstable, history. Beginning with an examination of the early nineteenth century labeling of mental retardation as "idiocy," to what we call developmental, intellectual, or learning disabilities, Mental Retardation in America chronicles the history of mental retardation, its treatment and labeling, and its representations and ramifications within the changing economic, social, and political context of America. Mental Retardation in America includes essays with a wide range of authors who approach the problems of retardation from many differing points of view. This work is divided into five sections, each following in chronological order the major changes in the treatment of people classified as retarded. Exploring historical issues, as well as current public policy concerns, Mental Retardation in America covers topics ranging from representations of the mentally disabled as social burdens and social menaces; Freudian inspired ideas of adjustment and adaptation; the relationship between community care and institutional treatment; historical events, such as the Buck v. Bell decision, which upheld the opinion on eugenic sterilization; the evolution of the disability rights movement; and the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990.

The Price of Silence
The Price of Silence

Author: Liza Long

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2015-08-04

Total Pages: 306

ISBN-13: 0147516404

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Liza Long, the author of “I Am Adam Lanza’s Mother"—as seen in the documentaries American Tragedy and HBO®'s A Dangerous Son—speaks out about mental illness. Like most of the nation, Liza Long spent December 14, 2012, mourning the victims of the Newtown shooting. As the mother of a child with a mental illness, however, she also wondered: “What if my son does that someday?” The emotional response she posted on her blog went viral, putting Long at the center of a passionate controversy. Now, she takes the next step. Powerful and shocking, The Price of Silence looks at how society stigmatizes mental illness—including in children—and the devastating societal cost. In the wake of repeated acts of mass violence, Long points the way forward.

Global Perspectives on Mental-Physical Comorbidity in the WHO World Mental Health Surveys
Global Perspectives on Mental-Physical Comorbidity in the WHO World Mental Health Surveys

Author: Michael R. Von Korff

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2009-07-31

Total Pages: 340

ISBN-13: 9780521199599

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The World Mental Health Surveys were established by the World Health Organization in 2000 to provide valuable information for physicians and health policy planners. These surveys have shed light on the prevalence, correlates, burden, and treatment of mental disorders in countries throughout the world. This volume focuses on the epidemiology of coexisting physical and mental illness around the world. This book includes surveys from 17 discrete countries on six continents, covering epidemiology, risk factors, consequences, and implications for research, clinical work, and policy. Many physical and mental illnesses share a relationship with one another and often occur simultaneously. Clinicians from the disciplines of both psychiatry and medicine are increasingly faced with both challenges on a daily basis, making this an ideal book for a wide range of health professionals. This is the first book devoted to this topic on such a wide-ranging scale.

Psychosocial Aspects of Disability
Psychosocial Aspects of Disability

Author: Irmo Marini, PhD, DSc, CRC, CLCP

Publisher: Springer Publishing Company

Published: 2017-10-28

Total Pages: 553

ISBN-13: 0826180639

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Praise for the First Edition: "This is an excellent book, but the best parts are the stories of the disabled, which give readers insights into their struggles and triumphs." Score: 94, 4 Stars–-Doody's Medical Reviews What are the differences between individuals with disabilities who flourish as opposed to those who never really adjust after a trauma? How do those born with a disability differ from individuals who acquire one later in life? Fully updated and revised, this second edition of a unique rehabilitation counseling text reflects growing disparities among "haves and have-nots" as they bear on the psychosocial aspects of disability. New content focuses on returning veterans afflicted with physical and mental health problems, persons with disabilities living in poverty, and the need for increased family and community-based engagement. The book provides updated information about assisted suicide, genetic testing, new legislation, and much more. Using a minority model perspective, the text provides students and practitioners of rehabilitation and mental health counseling with vivid insight into the experience of living with a disability. It features first-person narratives from people living with a variety of disabling conditions, which are integrated with sociological and societal perspectives toward disability, and strategies for counseling such individuals. The text encompasses an historical perspective, psychological and sociological research, cultural variants regarding disability, myths and misconceptions, the attitudes of special interest and occupational groups, the use positive psychology, and adjustments to disability by the individual and family. A wealth of counseling guidelines and useful strategies are geared to individuals with specific disabilities. Designed for a 15-week semester, the book also includes thought-provoking discussion questions and exercises, an Instructor’s Manual and PowerPoints. New to the Second Edition: Reflects the growing disparities between “haves and have-nots” as they impact people with disabilities Includes new content on veterans with physical and mental disabilities Describes the experience of impoverished individuals with disabilities Examines the need for increase family and community-based engagement Discusses strengths and weaknesses of the Americans with Disabilities Act Covers assisted suicide, genetic testing, and recent legislationExpanded coverage of sexual identity Provides an Instructor Manual and PowerPoints Key Features: Provides 16 personal narratives demonstrating the "normalcy" of individuals with different types of disabling conditions Includes stories of people living with blindness, hearing impairments, spinal chord injuries, muscular dystrophy, mental illness, and other disabilities Delivers counseling strategies geared toward specific disabilities, with "do’s" and "don'ts" Discusses ongoing treatment issues and ethical dilemmas for rehabilitation counselors