Assessment of Anger in Persons with Cognitive Limitations : a Revision of the ADS-VII

Assessment of angry patients with mental retardation or borderline intellectual functioning is time consuming. Existing assessment tools may be inadequate for gathering data and for guiding treatment, thus presenting a challenge for practitioners. The Anger Disorders Scale (DiGiuseppe & Tafrate, 2001) samples the cognitive, affective, and behavioral components of anger. However, this scale is a self-report survey for adults of average or higher intellectual functioning. This investigation provided a feasibility test of the Anger Disorders Interview for persons diagnosed with Mental Retardation (ADIMR), a modified version of the Anger Disorders Scale designed as a clinical interview for cognitively limited patients who present with symptoms of anger. Comparisons between the ADIMR and existing assessment instruments for cognitively limited patients will be discussed