CORRELATES OF MALADAPTIVE BEHAVIOR IN CHILDREN AND ADULTS WITH PRADER-WILLI-SYNDROME

Four features of maladaptive behavior were examined in 25 children and 61 adults with Prader-Willi syndrome: age, gender, IQ, and the Body M ass Index (BMI). Among children, older subjects showed increased sympt omatology relative to younger subjects, especially in depression and w ithdrawal. Among adults, maladaptive behaviors seem to show both stead y and variable expressions, waxing and waning over time. Boys showed h eightened depression relative to girls, findings which were not seen i n the adults. No maladaptive behavior differences were found in high v s, low IQ subjects. Thinner adults with lower BMIs had higher maladapt ive behavior scores relative to heavier subjects, particularly in inte rnal states involving distressful affect and problems with thinking. S everal explanations of these counterintuitive BR?IT findings are discu ssed, as is the need for prospective research on maladaptive behavior in children and adults with this syndrome. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.