Behaviour in Relation to Diseases of the Mentally Retarded Persons in Rajshahi District

Abstract

This research entitled 'Behaviour in relation to diseases of the mentally retarded persons in Rajshahi District' is an attempt to explore some behavioural changes of the mentally retarded persons followed by eight specific diseases. The researcher closely observed 155 mentally retarded persons during last five years in and around Rajshahi. The diseases are Meningitis, Hepatitis, Typhoid, Chicken Pox, Influenza, Measles, Pneumonia and Diarrhea. She studied the psychological, biological, social and some special changes in the behaviour of the subjects during and after the diseases. The subjects were categorized as male-female; child-adult; rural-urban; mild-moderate and severe; with and without chromosomal anomalies; having or not having convulsive disorders; and dependent or not dependent on psychotropic drugs. The urban subjects are from Rajshahi City and the rural subjects are from the villages of Joynagar Union of Durgapur Upazilla of Rajshahi District. All the subjects were observed and studied personally by the researcher several times during 2000 and 2004. Especially they were visited during different illness. Major methodology was case study method, but the case studies were seconded by observation, interview and free discussion. The researcher also studied all the available medical papers, prescriptions, pathological reports, etc. of all the 155 subjects. Though the research was designed mainly to study the nature, number and seriousness of eight common diseases suffered by the selected cases of mental retardation and to explore the changes in their behaviour the specific objectives were: to find out the nature, number and seriousness of eight diseases suffered by the Mentally Retarded persons; to explore behavioral problems of the persons with Mental Retardation due to the diseases; to investigate the pattern of medical treatment received by the Mentally Retarded person; to suggest ways and means to promote awareness that will help appropriate care of the mentally retarded persons during these diseases and save them from the aftereffects of the diseases; and to recommend measures that will help formulation of a suitable health policy including special care of the mentally retarded persons in Bangladesh. On the basis of the findings, interview, secondary data and overall observation, the researcher concludes the following: sufferings in any of the diseases create at least some behavior problem among the mentally retarded persons; those who have suffered by more diseases are now having more behaviour problems; the. duration of sufferings in diseases are positively related to the deterioration of behaviour; Meningitis is considered as the most severe disease that seriously affects the behaviour of the mentally retarded persons in Rajshahi District; Convulsion associated with high fever is seriously affecting the behaviour of the mentally retarded persons and in most cases they are becoming drug dependent for convulsion; the rural mentally retarded persons are relatively drug free compared to the urban mentally retarded persons; those mentally retarded persons who have become adults are now relatively free from the diseases compared to the mentally retarded children; mentally retarded persons with chromosomal anomalies, specially the Downs Syndromes, are relatively less affected from the common diseases compared to the mentally retarded persons without chromosomal anomalies; the mentally retarded persons who were immunized were less affected by the common diseases; the rate of attack of the diseases is not related to sex of the mentally retarded persons; the severely retarded persons are more affected by the diseases compared to the mild and moderately retarded persons; and those who have become dependent on psychotropic drugs are due to faulty treatments of the physicians and ignorance of the parents. The researcher recommends the following to uplift the treatment and care of the mentally retarded persons: awareness development on mental retardation and the possible outcomes of the diseases need extensive publicity by the mass media; training courses are to be arranged for the physicians to update them on recent information on mental retardation; management of febrile convulsion needs extensive publicity by mass media that parents can identify the primary symptoms and can Lake up emergency measures; mentally retarded persons cannot narrate their actual physical problems to others. They should not become subjects of trials and errors by the physicians and family members, therefore, specific pathological tests must be done before giving them any medicine; and a national health policy is needed to control the use and abuse of psychotropic drugs.