Behaviour modification in mental deficiency nursing
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Date
1976Author
Tierney, Alison Joan
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Abstract
The conventional custodial approach in mental deficiency
nursing is no longer appropriate, according to current policy, to the
needs of mental defectives. Behaviour modification is singularly
effective in overcoming behavioural problems and deficits associated
with mental deficiency. The present research investigates some implic¬
ations of behaviour modification for mental deficiency nursing.
An experimental study evaluated the effectiveness and practic¬
ability of the implementation, by nurses, of a behaviour modification
toilet training programme for a group of low—grade mental defectives in
a typical institutional environment. Twenty-seven of the thirty-five
patients involved achieved a reduction in incontinence and acquired an
improved level of independent toilet behaviour. The overall prevalence
of incontinence in the ward decreased as did the amount of linen used
due to incontinence. Most patients evidenced an acceleration of progress
in general level of functioning concurrently with the toilet training
period. It appears that response generalisation may be an effect of
specific training. A replicative experiment, involving the original
control group as subjects, achieved similar results in all respects.
Long-term evaluation produced no evidence of regression to pre-training
level of performance. The study suggests that behaviour modification
toilet training provides an effective, enduring and practicable solution
which could be applied by nurses to the considerable problem of incont¬
inence in mental deficiency hospitals.
A survey study ascertained the nature and extent of nurse
involvement in behaviour modification. Nurses in the majority of mental
deficiency hospitals in Scotland were found to be involved in a variety
of behaviour modification activities. These activities are discussed and
aspects of the role, function and training of nurses in behaviour
modification are discussed.
It is concluded that behaviour modification can make a
significant contribution to the development of a therapeutic component
in mental deficiency nursing.