Background: Individuals who have mental retardation and live by themselves have little knowledge of psychotropic medication. The aim of this study is to examine the use of psychotropic medication among individuals with mental retardation, 10-20 years after they moved from institutionalised to open care.
Material and methods: 116 individuals with mental retardation, who had moved from one specific institution to open care (in their own homes) in the period 1984-94, were included in the study. Data were collected from medical records, and from interviews with a caregiver.
Results: 50 (43%) individuals used psychotropic drugs at the time of recording. It was common to use combinations of psychotropic drugs; 37 used antipsychotics, nine used antidepressants and 14 used anxiolytics. Information on the degree of retardation was not available for all individuals; but 20 of the 28 who used antipsychotics had serious mental retardation, while eight had a mild or moderate degree of mental retardation (p < 0.001). No statistically significant association was found between degree of retardation and use of antidepressants and anxiolytics. Only 14 (27%) of those who used psychotropic drugs had a psychiatric diagnosis. The drugs were usually prescribed by a regular general practitioner.
Interpretation: Individuals with mental retardation use psychotropic medication extensively. Caregivers' insufficient knowledge on how to apply non-pharmacological intervention may be an explanation for the extensive use of psychotropic drugs in treatment of challenging behaviour.