Depression in the mentally retarded: What do MSW students know

The purpose of this study was to determine the level of knowledge MSW students have obtained through their schooling regarding depression among those affected by mental retardation. A quantitative method was selected to gather data. Specifically, 38 questionnaires were passed out to second year part and full-time MSW students. The questionnaire was selected from the thesis of Linda Barker (1999).; Results showed that MSW students lacked some basic understanding in the four major areas dealing with depression: etiology, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment. The highest scores were obtained in the etiology portion of the depression scale, with the lowest contained within the treatment section of the questionnaire.; Findings suggest an improvement is needed in the education and training of MSW students to most effectively meet the needs of mentally retarded individuals suffering from symptoms and diagnosis of depression.