Mental health and intellectual disability: integrating different approaches in the neurodevelopmental perspective

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 217-221
Author(s):  
Marco O. Bertelli
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Developmental Time ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
International Congress ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Perspective Drawing ◽  
Interdisciplinary Approaches

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a critical overview of some main implications of the neurodevelopmental perspective for the field of the mental health in intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorders. Design/methodology/approach – A discussion surrounding the importance of integrating different approaches in the neurodevelopmental perspective, drawing on sources from the paper proposals to the 10th International Congress of the European Association in Mental Health and Intellectual Disability (EAMHID), and the literature. Findings – At present, the neurodevelopmental perspective seems to be the most appropriate and valued conceptual framework to support multi-level, interdisciplinary approaches in understanding the aetiologies of mental health problems as well as when and how to intervene. It inherently exemplifies a dimensional approach, which can capture variations between individuals, their developmental time course, brain-behaviours associations and functional significance better than categorical approaches, and diagnostic measures. Originality/value – This editorial outlines a special issue that offers a comprehensive and varied collection of papers from the contributions to the 10th International Congress of the EAMHID.

The 10th EAMHID International Congress: integrating different approaches in the neurodevelopmental perspective – the mental health care evolution timeline

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco O. Bertelli
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Full Range ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
International Congress ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Interdisciplinary Approaches ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a summary of main outcomes of the 10th EAMHID International Congress and a critical overview of some key contributions. Design/methodology/approach – A discussion on the impact of the neurodevelopmental perspective on mental health care achievements and failures in the field of intellectual disability (ID) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Findings – The considerable progress in the field of mental health care for people with ID that has been made in the last 30 years and that is reflected through the 350 papers presented in this Congress represents the continuation of the work of great pioneers, such as Frank Menolascino, Felix Platter or William I. Gardner, who have been honoured by the EAMHID in the naming of the congress rooms, and the dedication of the poster award. The neurodevelopmental perspective was confirmed to be the current most valued conceptual framework to explain relations across systems and to support multi-level, transnosographic, life-long, interdisciplinary approaches in the production of aetiological insight and good-quality intervention for mental health problems; on the other hand it might determine a premature abandonment of the traditional nosology and the appearance of very broad spectrum conditions covering the full range of psychopathology. Also psychopharmacology was extensively considered, with the explicit aim to raise the attention of researchers and clinicians on this neglected topic. Unfortunately, adults with ID/ASD are still deprived of the right to receive treatments that are based on strong evidence, as it is for the general population. Originality/value – This editorial outlines the second part of a special issue that offers a comprehensive and varied collection of papers from the contributions to the 10th International Congress of the EAMHID.

Visual and Hearing Impairments and their Impact on the Mental Health of Adults with Intellectual Disability

2020 ◽  
pp. 247-264
Author(s):  
Reza Kiani ◽  
Sugato Bhaumik
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Hearing Impairment ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Signs And Symptoms ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Hearing Impairments ◽  
Care Givers ◽  
Raising Awareness

Visual and hearing impairments, congenital or acquired, are much more common in people with intellectual disability (ID) than the general population. These can be missed or diagnosed with delay if professionals rely just on the subjective reports by the families/care givers rather than objective screening and assessment. People with ID might be unable to complain about a visual or hearing impairment due to their communication difficulties. Therefore, diagnostic overshadowing might occur whereby these conditions might present with atypical signs and symptoms (e.g. loss of skills, isolation, and challenging behaviours) which could be attributed to dementia, depression, or other mental health problems. There has also been an overrepresentation of autistic-like features and autism spectrum disorder reported in people with visual and hearing impairment. Raising awareness of these comorbidities in people with ID will therefore facilitate early diagnosis and implementation of appropriate management strategies that can improve service provision for this vulnerable population.

Psychiatric Vulnerability in Adults with Intellectual Disability and Autism: A Literature Review

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S133-S133
Author(s):  
S. Coli ◽  
D. Scuticchio ◽  
M. Bertelli
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Psychiatric Disorders ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Challenging Behaviors ◽  
Diagnostic Procedures ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Co Morbidity

IntroductionAdults with Intellectual disability (ID) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are more vulnerable to mental health problems than the general population.Objectives/aimsThis study investigates presence and rate of psychiatric disorders in comparison with ID or ASD alone, and appropriateness of assessment and diagnostic procedures or tools.MethodsA systematic mapping of the literature was carried out on the basis of the above mentioned issues. The search was conducted using PubMed and ScienceDirect, according to the following keywords: psychiatric comorbidity, psychiatric disorders, autism, ASD, intellectual disability, mental health problems, adults, assessment tools, diagnosis. Twenty-eight papers were selected for pertinence to mapping issues among more than 500.ResultsMany studies show that ASD is an important vulnerability factor for psychiatric co-morbidity and for challenging behaviors (CBs) in adults with ID. Highest rates were reported for psychotic, mood, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorders. Few studies show that the difference between adults with ID plus ASD and adults with only ID are not statistically significant, but for the presence of CBs in those with ID plus ASD. The disagreement of results is based on a variety of factors such as diagnostic over-shadowing, scarcity of specific assessment tools, consideration of the introspective and communication difficulties, incompleteness of medical records, and low reliability of information sources.ConclusionsAlthough low studies concordance, the literature mapping suggests the presence of ASD in ID to be associated with higher rates of psychopathology. Since the relevant implications for prevention and clinical management, further research with high-level evidence is hoped.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

A five decade retrospective review of admission trends in a NHS intellectual disability hospital

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 108-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yim Lun Wong ◽  
Rinzi Bhutia ◽  
Khalodoun Tayar ◽  
Ashok Roy
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Retrospective Review ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Psychiatric Illnesses ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Mental Health Legislation ◽  
Recent Initiative ◽  
Health Legislation

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the trend of admissions and inpatient characteristics in a NHS intellectual disability hospital from 1975 to 2013, in particular looking at the effect following the Winterbourne View scandal. Design/methodology/approach – A retrospective review of all admissions over a three-year period (January 2011-January 2013) was completed. This information was compared with admissions to the same hospital in three-year period over the last four decades (1975-1977, 1985-1987, 1995-1997, and 2003-2006). Number of admissions, gender, age, source of admission, length of stay, reasons for admission, type of admission, and diagnosis of psychiatric illnesses were included. Findings – There were 87 admissions (including 29 from out of area) in the study period of 2011-2013. The number of admissions had varied over the years but male admissions were consistently higher than female. A majority of people stayed over six months. For the first time in five decades, there were more formal inpatients than informal ones. The diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder had increased. Originality/value – This study has examined admission trends over five decades. It has highlighted that the Mental Health Act legislation is being used more frequently and that co-morbid mental disorders, such as ASD are commonly associated with those admitted to hospital. A well planned-out community health care system, as well as adequate social provision are keys to maintain people with intellectual disability in the community. Furthermore, a better understanding of the symptomology of challenging behaviours, and appropriate use of mental health legislation are crucial in providing a high-quality service that has clear treatment goals and values. Some of these issues have contributed to the failure of the recent initiative to reduce the size of the inpatient intellectual disability following Winterbourne View scandal.

A review of risk factors associated with suicide in adults with intellectual disability

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 302-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Mollison ◽  
Eddie Chaplin ◽  
Lisa Underwood ◽  
Jane McCarthy
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
General Population ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Cognitive Capacity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Associated

Purpose – Suicide is one of the top three leading causes of death amongst those aged between 15 and 44 years; and tenth leading cause of death in the wider population. The base rates of suicide, suicide attempts and suicide-related behaviours are comparably low in the general population with between 17 and 68 per cent of individuals who successfully commit suicide having made a previous attempt to take their own life. As recently as the 1980's it was still a widely held belief that individuals with intellectual disability (ID) did not have the cognitive capacity to experience mental health problems and this acted as a “buffer” against suicidal behaviour. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – The literature review covered the time period 1993-2013 and returned 117 studies, 77 of which related to individuals with ID, 37 of which related to adults. Following screening titles and abstracts 28 articles were removed. A total of nine studies were found to be eligible for inclusion in the review. A further two studies examining suicide in adolescents (up to adulthood) with ID were also considered. From the eligible studies the following information was considered: study design, sample size, strengths, limitations and the risk factors associated with an increased risk of suicide. Findings – The suicide risk factors identified during the review were found to be in keeping with the general population and included a diagnosis of clinical depression, history of self-harm, unemployment, loneliness, unemployment, an increased need for support from others, early onset mental illness and being treatment resistive. Originality/value – Suicide in individuals with ID is a topic that has not received a great deal of attention from professionals and clinicians alike. People with ID have higher rates of mental health problems and therefore it could be argued that they are more likely to be at risk. This study aims to look at risk factors specific to people with ID for clinicians to consider in their daily practice.

scholarly journals “Why can’t they be in the community?” A policy and practice analysis of transforming care for offenders with intellectual disability

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 139-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Regi Alexander ◽  
John Devapriam ◽  
Dasari Michael ◽  
Jane McCarthy ◽  
Verity Chester ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Hospital Treatment ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Lengths Of Stay ◽  
Key Policy ◽  
Offending Behaviour ◽  
Conditional Discharge

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe key policy and practice issues regarding a significant subgroup of people with intellectual disability – those with offending behaviour being treated in forensic hospitals. Design/methodology/approach – The reasons why psychiatrists continue to be involved in the treatment of people with intellectual disability and mental health or behavioural problems and the factors that may lead to patients needing hospital admission are examined. Using two illustrative examples, three key questions – containment vs treatment, hospital care vs conditional discharge and hospital treatment vs using deprivation of liberty safeguards usage in the community are explored. Findings – Patients with intellectual disability, mental health problems and offending behaviours who are treated within forensic inpatient units tend to have long lengths of stay. The key variable that mediates this length of stay is the risk that they pose to themselves or others. Clinicians work within the framework of mental health law and have to be mindful that pragmatic solutions to hasten discharge into the community may not fall within the law. Originality/value – This paper makes practical suggestions for the future on how to best integrate hospital and community care for people with intellectual disability, mental health and offending behaviours.

Met and unmet needs among adults with mild to moderate intellectual disability with and without mental health problems

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthias Schützwohl
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Unmet Needs ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Psychiatric Symptoms ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Service Planning ◽  
Support Needs ◽  
Behaviour Problem ◽  
Prevalence Rates

Background: People with an intellectual disability (ID) show a great number and complex constellation of support needs. With respect to the planning of services, it is important to assess needs at the population level. ID services need to know to what extent support needs of clients with mental health problems differ from support needs of clients without any mental health problem.Aims: The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence rates of needs in relevant study groups. Methods: Data was generated from the MEMENTA-Study (“Mental health care for adults with intellectual disability and a mental disorder”). The Camberwell Assessment of Need for Adults with Intellectual Disabilities (CANDID) was used to assess met und unmet support needs. Data was available for n=248 adults with mild to moderate ID.Results: Mean total number of needs and unmet needs was associated with mental health status. However, in most particular areas under study, individuals without significant psychiatric symptoms or any behaviour problem needed as much as often help as individuals with such mental health problems. A higher rate of need for care among study participants with significant psychiatric symptoms or any behaviour problem was mainly found with regard to these specific areas (“minor mental health problems”, “major mental health problems”, “inappropriate behaviour”) or with regard to closely related areas (“safety of others”).Conclusions: Differences in prevalence rates mainly occurred in such areas of need that rather fall under the responsibility of mental health services than under the responsibility of ID services. This has implications for service planning.

scholarly journals Is social camouflaging associated with anxiety and depression in autistic adults?

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Hull ◽  
Lily Levy ◽  
Meng-Chuan Lai ◽  
K. V. Petrides ◽  
Simon Baron-Cohen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Social Anxiety ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Autistic Traits ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Autistic People ◽  
Autistic Adults ◽  
Anxiety Depression

Abstract Background There is inconsistent evidence for a clear pattern of association between ‘camouflaging’ (strategies used to mask and/or compensate for autism characteristics during social interactions) and mental health. Methods This study explored the relationship between self-reported camouflaging and generalised anxiety, depression, and social anxiety in a large sample of autistic adults and, for the first time, explored the moderating effect of gender, in an online survey. Results Overall, camouflaging was associated with greater symptoms of generalised anxiety, depression, and social anxiety, although only to a small extent beyond the contribution of autistic traits and age. Camouflaging more strongly predicted generalised and social anxiety than depression. No interaction between camouflaging and gender was found. Limitations These results cannot be generalised to autistic people with intellectual disability, or autistic children and young people. The sample did not include sufficient numbers of non-binary people to run separate analyses; therefore, it is possible that camouflaging impacts mental health differently in this population. Conclusions The findings suggest that camouflaging is a risk factor for mental health problems in autistic adults without intellectual disability, regardless of gender. We also identified levels of camouflaging at which risk of mental health problems is highest, suggesting clinicians should be particularly aware of mental health problems in those who score at or above these levels.

Mental health and stigma in Saudi Arabia: a scoping review

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nada Alattar ◽  
Anne Felton ◽  
Theodore Stickley
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Cultural Beliefs ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Mental Health Stigma ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mental Health Issues

Purpose Stigma associated with mental health problems is widespread in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Consequently, this may prevent many Saudi people from accessing the mental health-care services and support they need. The purpose of this study is to consider how stigma affects people needing to access mental health services in the KSA. To achieve this aim, this study reviews the knowledge base concerning stigma and mental health in KSA and considers specific further research necessary to increase the knowledge and understanding in this important area. Design/methodology/approach This review examines the relevant literature concerning mental health stigma and related issues in KSA using the Arksey and O'Malley and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses frameworks. As a scoping review, it has used a systematic approach in literature searching. The results of the search were then thematically analysed and the themes were then discussed in light of the concepts of stigma and mental health. Findings Stigma around mental health impedes access to care, the nature of care and current clinical practice in the KSA. The voices of those with mental health issues in KSA are almost entirely unrepresented in the literature. Originality/value The review identifies that mental health stigma and cultural beliefs about mental health in KSA may act as barriers to accessing services. The voice of mental health service users in KSA remains largely unheard. If public discussion of mental health issues can increase, people’s experiences of accessing services may be improved.

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