The purpose of this study is to investigate the quality of life and the family dynamics of a group of adolescents and young adults with mental handicap. This study presents a part of a wider research on the quality of life of mentally handicapped patients living in the Pavia area. Aim of the research supported is evaluating the relief needs of these patients in the early adult life.

Methods: to assess the quality of life we used the ComQol-ID (Comprehensive quality of life scale-intellectual disability) (Cummins, 1993). This questionnaire can rate two different dimensions (subjective and objective) of quality of life and even seven particular domains for each of these dimensions:

1) material things (possessions);

2) health and physical well being;

3) productivity (in working or in school learning skills);

4) intimacy (the quality of affective relationships with family and friends);

5) safety (all night sleep);

6) place in society (social class);

7) emotional well being.

Within the ComQol-ID dimensions two separate scales were constructed: one to measure importance and the other to measure satisfaction.

The parents of each patient have been supervised with recurrent group interview: the aim of these meetings was to identify family dynamics and give assistance to the parents.

Results: the analysis of the results obtained in the first group of 30 patients (mean age 23 years) shows that the "place in society" represents the most critical and distressing domain and that the adolescent age is the most difficult period. In fact up till adolescence, the disabled patients live with their peers, with the end of secondary school, while their peers become more independent, they find more difficulties in their life conditions.

This experience is perceived as distressing also in the family circle; in fact the parents have to compare their narcissistic blessure with the problem of autonomy that their children need.

For mentally handicapped adolescents the achievement of independence is slow and uncertain; parent dependence is difficult to change and sometimes it is even impossible for them to reach personal autonomy. It is when the retarded adolescents claim their independence that the family system may disrupt.

Conclusions: our research shows that:

1) adolescents with mental handicaps need specific assistance for social insertion (psychological help and qualified structures);

2) their parents should have proper medical and psychological support to be able to answer appropriately their child's needs.

(Quality of life and the family dynamics of a group of adolescents and young adults with mental handicap. Paper presented at the Second International Congress of Adolescentology Milano 94: Adolescence and Family. Milan, Italy, November 18-19, 1994).

Key words: Quality of life, adolescence, mental handicap.