{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,2]],"date-time":"2026-06-02T23:09:46Z","timestamp":1780441786434,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":0,"publisher":"Cambridge University Press (CUP)","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2000,3,1]],"date-time":"2000-03-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":951868800000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/terms"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Psychol. Med."],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2000,3]]},"abstract":"<jats:p><jats:bold>Background.<\/jats:bold> Based on the developing clinical and legal literature, and using the framework adopted \nin draft legislation, capacity to make a valid decision about a clinically required blood test was \ninvestigated in three groups of people with a \u2018mental disability\u2019 (i.e. mental illness (chronic \nschizophrenia), \u2018learning disability\u2019 (\u2018mental retardation\u2019, or intellectual or developmental \ndisability), or, dementia) and a fourth, comparison group.<\/jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Methods.<\/jats:bold> The three \u2018mental disability\u2019 groups (<jats:italic>N<\/jats:italic> = 20 in the \u2018learning disability\u2019 group, <jats:italic>N<\/jats:italic> = 21 in \neach of the other two groups) were recruited through the relevant local clinical services; and through \na phlebotomy clinic for the \u2018general population\u2019 comparison group (<jats:italic>N<\/jats:italic> = 20). The decision-making \ntask was progressively simplified by presenting the relevant information as separate elements and \nmodifying the assessment of capacity so that responding became gradually less dependent on \nexpressive verbal ability.<\/jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Results.<\/jats:bold> Compared with the \u2018general population\u2019 group, capacity to make the particular decision \nwas significantly more impaired in the \u2018learning disability\u2019 and \u2018dementia\u2019 groups. Importantly, \nhowever, it was not more impaired among the \u2018mental illness\u2019 group. All the groups benefited as \nthe decision-making task was simplified, but at different stages. In each of the \u2018mental disability\u2019 \ngroups, one participant benefited only when responding did not require any expensive verbal ability.<\/jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Conclusions.<\/jats:bold> Consistent with current views, capacity reflected an interaction between the decision-maker and the demands of the decision-making task. The findings have implications for the way in \nwhich decisions about health care interventions are sought from people with a \u2018mental disability\u2019. \nThe methodology may be extended to assess capacity to make other legally-significant decisions.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1017\/s0033291700001768","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2002,7,27]],"date-time":"2002-07-27T13:33:33Z","timestamp":1027776813000},"page":"295-306","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":117,"title":["The capacity of people with a \u2018mental disability\u2019 to \nmake a health care decision"],"prefix":"10.1017","volume":"30","author":[{"given":"J. G.","family":"WONG","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"I. C. H.","family":"CLARE","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"A. J.","family":"HOLLAND","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"P. C.","family":"WATSON","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"M.","family":"GUNN","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"56","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2000,3,1]]},"container-title":["Psychological Medicine"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/services\/aop-cambridge-core\/content\/view\/S0033291700001768","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2019,9,2]],"date-time":"2019-09-02T16:22:48Z","timestamp":1567441368000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/product\/identifier\/S0033291700001768\/type\/journal_article"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2000,3]]},"references-count":0,"journal-issue":{"issue":"2","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2000,3]]}},"alternative-id":["S0033291700001768"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1017\/s0033291700001768","relation":{},"ISSN":["0033-2917","1469-8978"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0033-2917","type":"print"},{"value":"1469-8978","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2000,3]]}}}