Mental health status of older persons with mental retardation in residential care settings

Older persons with mental retardation constitute a growing, chronically dependent population. Most of the older known persons in this group reside in some form of residential facility. While attention has been given in research to the mental health status of these people, studies have typically considered these issues within the context of a single facility or single type of facility. The current study employed a national survey of multiple facility types in order to ascertain patterns of adjustment and interpersonal functioning that are associated with being older, having mental retardation, and living in an out-of-home residential setting.