Individual and Group Psychotherapy Approaches for Persons with Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities

Although the prevalence of mental illness among persons with mental retardation and developmental disabilities (MR/DD) is well documented, most psychotherapists have not expanded their practices to include patients from this population. The majority of reports in the early literature documented that people with MR/DD could benefit from treatment, and reports from recent years continue to inspire optimism about the effectiveness of psychotherapy. To some extent, many professionals have favored the use of training groups (e.g., social skills training) over group therapy, and this is unfortunate as the therapeutic value of groups has a powerful, generalized effect promoting self-confidence and improvements in mental health. Those that have worked with patients who have MR/DD have, however, found that a standard list of adaptations can be applied by psychotherapists interested in working with this population, independent of theoretical orientation and training background. It is imperative that psychotherapists be encouraged to treat patients with MR/DD and be given the information to successfully adapt their skills for work with this population.