One hundred fifty-three individuals with mild mental retardation and borderline intellectual functioning who attended a transitional vocational program were evaluated for behavior indicative of emotional dysfunction and personality disorders. Based upon the multiaxial criteria of DSM-III (American Psychiatric Association, 1980), 80, or 53%, were diagnosed as meeting Axis I criteria for a clinical syndrome. Twenty-seven, or 17.6%, of the clients enrolled met the DSM-III criteria for an Axis II diagnosis, which involve more severe personality or developmental disorders. These findings are similar to epidemiological investigations conducted in community, hospital, and outpatient mental health settings for the mentally retarded. Behavior that indicates emotional pathology in individuals with mild retardation and borderline intellectual functioning has a great impact upon meeting the goals of transitional programs and fostering community acceptance.
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