Loneliness, depression, and social skills among students with mild mental retardation in different educational settings

This study examined 575 students with mild mental retardation (MMR) in three educational settings. Their loneliness, depression, and social skills were assessed through student self-reports and peer perception of social status. Results indicated developmental changes in the group of students with MMR in self-contained classes in general education schools. Preadolescent students in those classes exhibited a greater sense of loneliness than did similar students in special education schools, but by the adolescent stage no differences were found between them and the general education students. The same trend was found for feelings of depression and for peer perception of social status.