Among the forms of mental pathology that are found in childhood, a special place is occupied by mental retardation, which makes a significant contribution to the rates of morbidity and disability.

In order to establish the patterns of the clinical-phenomenological structure and age-specific course of the disease in adolescence with mild mental retardation, on the basis of the Kryvyi Rih neuropsychiatric dispensary, a two-stage clinical-epidemiological, clinical-psychopathological and psychodiagnostic study of 154 people born in 2003—2008 with mild mental disorders was carried out.

According to the results of the study, it was found that the presence of mental retardation in most cases was diagnosed in the period of 7—10 years (29.8% of cases), and in almost a third of all examined (29.0%) this diagnosis was combined with concomitant psychiatric, neurological or somatic pathology, which just led to a deterioration in the general course of the disease. In 63.0% cases there was a burdened family history, in 81.0 % — obstetric. In addition, a direct correlation (r=0.498) was found between the level of development of social skills and the preservation of the intellectual level.

Thus, it is possible to identify risk factors for the occurrence of mild mental retardation: male sex, family history (primarily addiction states), parents’ age over 30, their low educational level, pathological period of pregnancy and delayed psychomotor development in the first year of life. The level of social adaptation of patients depends on the depth of the intellectual deficit, long-term treatment and rehabilitation interventions, psycho-educational activities for parents and relatives, the organization of assistance in finding a job and medical support can increase the level of social adaptation of this contingent.