Depressive symptoms in people with a learning disability (original) (raw)

Depression significantly impacts individuals with learning disabilities (LD), primarily due to the reliance on standard diagnostic criteria that depend on verbal communication skills. This study assessed 32 symptoms in 86 LD patients to identify those differentiating between depressed and non-depressed individuals. Findings indicated that while standard diagnostic tools are effective for identifying depression in mild to moderate LD populations, traditional symptoms may not be reliable in severe cases, where behavioral signs become crucial.