People with intellectual disabilities accessing mainstream mental health services: some facts, features and professional considerations

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 215-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Penelope Jane Standen ◽  
Adam Clifford ◽  
Kiran Jeenkeri
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Intellectual Disabilities ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Health Needs ◽  
Critical Approach ◽  
Mental Health Needs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
People With Intellectual Disabilities

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide information for non-specialists on identifying the characteristics, assessment and support needs of people with intellectual disabilities (ID) accessing mainstream services. Design/methodology/approach A review of relevant policy and research literature is supplemented with observations from the authors’ own experience of working in mental health services for people with ID. Findings With change in provision of services the likelihood of mainstream staff encountering someone with ID will increase. However, information on whether a person has ID or their level of ID is not always available to professionals in acute mental health services meeting an individual for the first time. Reliance on observational and interview-based assessments can leave people with ID vulnerable to a range of over- and under-diagnosis issues. This is as a result of difficulties with communication and emotional introspection, psychosocial masking, suggestibility, confabulation and acquiescence. For people with poor communication, carers will be the primary source of information and their contribution has to be taken into account. Practical implications Knowing or suspecting an individual has ID allows staff to take into account the various assessment, diagnosis and formulation issues that complicate a valid and reliable understanding of their mental health needs. Awareness about an individual’s ID also allows professionals to be vigilant to their own biases, where issues of diagnostic overshadowing or cognitive disintegration may be important considerations. However, understanding some of the practical and conceptual issues should ensure a cautious and critical approach to diagnosing, formulating and addressing this population’s mental health needs. Originality/value This synthesis of a review of the literature and observations from the authors’ experience of working in mental health services for people with ID provides an informed and practical briefing for those encountering people with ID accessing mainstream services.

“When other people try to understand”: exploring the experiences of people with intellectual disabilities, who also have mental health problems

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 91-101
Author(s):  
Sasha Martine Mattock ◽  
Kieron Beard ◽  
Amy Baddeley
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Intellectual Disabilities ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The People ◽  
People With Intellectual Disabilities

Purpose Recent guidelines from the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence highlight that service users (SUs) with intellectual disabilities and co-occurring mental health problems rarely get the opportunity to share their experiences of mental health services. Over the past 20 years, policy documents have stated that these individuals (SUs) must be included in decisions about their care. Research suggests that often this is not the case. Therefore, this paper aims to create a space for SUs to share their experiences of mental health services, and what they found helpful. Design/methodology/approach A focus group was held with five SUs, two psychologists and two researchers. The audio recording of the discussion was transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. Findings Three main themes were identified, namely, “relationships with others”, “inclusion and communication” and “challenges”. This focus group highlighted that although some SUs felt supported, they reported having little control in their lives and wanted to be listened to. Research limitations/implications Including a SU in the planning and facilitation of the focus group would have made this research more inclusive. Practical implications The implications of this research suggest that by listening to and involving SUs and developing more person-centred services, recovery rates may increase as the services provided would be more targeted. Originality/value Very little research has previously been conducted to explore SUs’ experiences. This paper highlights the value of being heard and the knowledge that is often lost if the authors do not take the time to listen to the people for whom a service is designed.

Mental health services for people with intellectual disability in the United Kingdom

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 91-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bhathika Perera ◽  
Ken Courtenay
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Intellectual Disabilities ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Community Support ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
People With Intellectual Disabilities ◽  
The Uk

Purpose Services for people with intellectual disabilities in the UK have evolved over the years from hospital-based care to more community provision. There are multiple reasons for these changes, however, often it was due to changes in social policy or following a scandal in provision. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach Providing services to meet the health and social care needs of people with intellectual disabilities is well-established in the four countries of the UK with support from legislation. There are often specialist mental health and social care teams. Dedicated professionals work with people with intellectual disabilities who experience mental health problems with a focus on support in the community. A range of services for children and adults and for offenders exist across the UK that often vary in composition and structure. Findings The challenges in providing mental health services for children and adults with intellectual disabilities in the future include recruitment and training of the workforce with the remit of enhancing community support and reduced in-patient care. Practical implications This paper helps the reader to understand how ID mental health services are organised in the UK. Originality/value This paper gives a summary of the ID mental health services in the UK. Even though there are various papers looking at different aspects of mental health services for people with ID in the UK, this paper brings all that information together to help reader get a better understanding of the mental health services for people with ID.

Intellectual disability and mental health: is psychology prepared?

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 381-389 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy J. Razza ◽  
Laura Schwartz Dayan ◽  
Daniel Tomasulo ◽  
Michelle S. Ballan
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Intellectual Disabilities ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Professional Training ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Health Needs ◽  
Mental Health Needs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
People With Intellectual Disabilities

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is threefold: to document the relationship between intellectual disability (ID) and psychopathology; to raise awareness of the ongoing lag in professional training for psychologists in the area of mental health treatment for people with intellectual disabilities; and, to provide recommendations for advancing professional education and, ultimately, adequate mental health treatment availability for people with intellectual disabilities. Design/methodology/approach – The paper reviews the literature on prevalence of mental health problems in people with intellectual disabilities. At the same time, the paper reviews the training of psychologists relative to the burgeoning growth in awareness of the mental health needs of people with intellectual disabilities. Findings – The paper concludes that ID is a significant risk factor for psychopathology. In addition, the paper concludes that the education of psychologists regarding the mental health needs of people with intellectual disabilities is insufficient. The authors document the need for incorporating research and treatment advances related to intellectual disabilities and mental health into to the professional training of psychologists. The paper also describe the potential this training holds for improving both the lives of people with intellectual disabilities and the overall competence of psychologists. Practical implications – This paper provides a literature-based rationale for the need to include education in the mental health needs of people with intellectual disabilities into the general training of mental health professionals. In addition, it provides specific recommendations for how such training can be incorporated into graduate psychology programs. Originality/value – This paper provides mental health professionals with a review of the growth in understanding of the enormous, unmet mental health needs of people intellectual disabilities, and of the critical role of ID in development of mental health problems. Moreover, this paper builds the case for an important revision in the training of psychologists to include competence in understanding and treating mental health problems across the full spectrum of intellectual functioning.

scholarly journals Current delivery of infant mental health services: are infant mental health needs being met?

2005 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 393-398 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elspeth Macdonald ◽  
Heather Mohay ◽  
Debra Sorensen ◽  
Neil Alcorn ◽  
Brett McDermott ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Health Needs ◽  
Infant Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Needs

A systematic review of current approaches to managing demand and waitlists for mental health services

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerry A. Thomas ◽  
Annelise M. Schroder ◽  
Debra J. Rickwood
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Care Service ◽  
Health Care Service ◽  
Clinical Effectiveness ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Inclusion Criteria ◽  
Content Type

Purpose Timely access to effective treatment is a primary goal for mental health services; however, when demand exceeds available resources, services may place clients on a waitlist or restrict services. This paper aims to identify approaches used by mental health services to manage service demand and waitlists. Design/methodology/approach A review of research literature between 2009 and 2019 was conducted using the Medline, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Embase and Cochrane databases. Articles were screened and assessed against inclusion criteria and the methodological quality of included studies was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Findings In total, 20 articles were located that met the inclusion criteria. Five demand management approaches were identified, namely, walk-in models, triage processes, multi-disciplinary care, patient-led approaches and service delivery changes. Research limitations/implications This review identifies effective approaches that services can consider adapting to their local setting; however, further research is needed to demonstrate the clinical effectiveness of services provided under these models. Originality/value This review makes a valuable contribution to mental health care service delivery by detailing the strategies that services have adopted to manage demand and, where available, comparative outcomes with traditional service delivery models.

scholarly journals Are we training psychiatrists to develop skills in intellectual disability psychiatry? Current European context and future directions

2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marisa Casanova Dias ◽  
Bhathika Perera ◽  
Florian Riese ◽  
Livia De Picker ◽  
Mariana Pinto da Costa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Intellectual Disabilities ◽  
Psychiatric Disorders ◽  
Psychiatric Training ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Education And Health ◽  
People With Intellectual Disabilities

Abstract The majority of people with intellectual disabilities (ID) and psychiatric disorders access mainstream mental health services across Europe. However, only 56% of countries provide postgraduate psychiatric training in ID according to a survey across 42 European countries. We explore the challenges of ID training and make recommendations for education and health policymakers.

Consumption of Mental Health Services by People with Intellectual Disabilities

2007 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 430-438 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Jane Spiller ◽  
Helen Costello ◽  
Agnieszka Bramley ◽  
Nick Bouras ◽  
Graham Martin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Intellectual Disabilities ◽  
People With Intellectual Disabilities

Personality and Life Style Factors in Utilization of Mental Health Services

1980 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 383-386 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marvin P. Dawkins ◽  
James A. Terry ◽  
Marva P. Dawkins
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Inner City ◽  
Life Style ◽  
Health Needs ◽  
Mental Health Needs ◽  
City Community ◽  
Racial Pride ◽  
Psychological Inventory

This study examined differences between users and nonusers of mental health services in an inner city community in terms of measures of personality and life style. Subjects were 30 users randomly selected from a list of self-referred outpatients at a neighborhood clinic and 30 nonusers from the same community. Measures of personality and life style were based on the Bipolar Psychological Inventory and the Attitudes, Interests and Opinions Life Style Inventory. Significant differences were found for 4 of the 15 personality measures and 2 of the 3 life style dimensions. Users were more dependent, unmotivated and socially withdrawn, while nonusers showed more tendency toward social deviancy and racial pride. Both groups scored relatively high on neurotic and psychopathic measures including defensiveness, psychic pain, impulsiveness and problem index (potential for psychotic reactions). It was concluded that both differences and similarities between users and nonusers should be given greater attention in planning to meet mental health needs of inner city residents.

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