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Psychiatric Diagnoses In Patients With Williams Syndrome And Their Families, Janet C. Kennedy M.D. (Pgy1), David L. Kaye M.D., Laurie S. Sadler M.D.

Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry

Williams Syndrome (WS) is a genetic disorder associated with mental retardation (MR) and a distinct behavioral phenotype including a friendly and outgoing personality. This population, like others with MR, has been reported to have an increased rate of symptoms of mental illness; however, few studies have used DSM-IV criteria to quantify specific psychiatric diagnoses in WS and the prevalence of psychiatric illness in relatives of individuals with WS and the possible relationship between family and patient diagnoses is currently unknown.

Methods: Twenty-one families participated; the patients’ average age was 16 years. DSM-IV diagnoses were applied by using the Anxiety …