SC13 Meeting the health needs of people with intellectual disabilities

Author(s):  
Gregoire Billon ◽  
GB Billon
BJGP Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. bjgpopen20X101030 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alison Jayne Doherty ◽  
Helen Atherton ◽  
Paul Boland ◽  
Richard Hastings ◽  
Lucy Hives ◽  
...  

BackgroundGlobally, people with intellectual disabilities and/or autism experience health inequalities. Death occurs at a younger age and the prevalence of long-term morbidities is higher than in the general population. Despite this, their primary healthcare access rates are lower than the general population, their health needs are often unmet, and their views and experiences are frequently overlooked in research, policy, and practice.AimTo investigate the barriers and facilitators reported by individuals with intellectual disabilities, autism, or both, and/or their carers, to accessing and utilising primary health care for their physical and mental health needs.Design & settingAn integrative review was undertaken, which used systematic review methodology.MethodElectronic databases MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), and Cochrane were searched for relevant studies (all languages) using a search strategy. Two researchers independently screened the results and assessed the quality of the studies.ResultsSixty-three international studies were identified. Six main themes relating to barriers and facilitators emerged from an analysis of these studies. The main themes were: training; knowledge and awareness; communication; fear and embarrassment; involvement in healthcare decision-making; and time. All the themes were underpinned by the need for greater care, dignity, respect, collaborative relationships, and reasonable adjustments. Opposing barriers and facilitators were identified within each of the main themes.ConclusionAdolescents and adults with intellectual disabilities and/or autism experience several barriers to accessing and utilising primary health care. The findings highlight the reasonable adjustments and facilitators that can be implemented to ensure that these individuals are not excluded from primary health care.


Author(s):  
Jane Hubert ◽  
Sheila Hollins

Social health and mental health needs change throughout life, and this chapter highlights those particularly relevant for adolescents and elderly people. As a general rule, people with intellectual disabilities have the same needs as other members of the community, but they may also have additional needs for which they are entitled to extra support.


2021 ◽  
pp. 174462952110096
Author(s):  
Romina Rinaldi ◽  
Jordan Duplat ◽  
Marie-Claire Haelewyck

Background: People with intellectual disabilities experience inequities in healthcare. Those are maintained by individual limitations as well as environmental factors. In this context, health needs are less likely to be expressed, identified and met. Method: We led a survey in 832 adults with intellectual disabilities to identify if health was set as a priority and if so, what were their major health-related support needs (in terms of physical, social and psychological health). Results: 67.1% of participants reported at least one need. Most frequently, two or more types of needs were reported with gender and living facility having an effect on whether participants would report these needs, but these did not affect which type of needs were reported. Conclusions: Health-related support needs are highly prevalent and diversified in people with intellectual disabilities. This study emphasizes the importance to consider health as a global concept as well as the relationships between health and self-determination.


Author(s):  
Owen Barr ◽  
Bob Gates

This chapter explores in detail aspects of health in children, adults, and older people with severe intellectual disabilities. It reviews why they have higher health needs when compared with the general population. It also identifies the different pattern of physical health needs and the high comorbidity in this group of people, as well as explores how many health needs can remain untreated. It demonstrates that the health profile of people with mild intellectual disabilities is similar to the wider population, once socio-economic factors are taken into account, although importantly they may experience more difficulty in accessing health promotion and primary and secondary care services. As a result of these factors, which include unmet health needs, many people die unnecessarily and at a premature age. This chapter uniquely provides comprehensive coverage of the very many factors compromising health and well-being, along with providing a range of strategies that registered nurses for people with intellectual disabilities can adopt in order to support health and well-being.


2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 284-292 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grégoire Billon ◽  
Chris Attoe ◽  
Karina Marshall-Tate ◽  
Samantha Riches ◽  
James Wheildon ◽  
...  

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss the role of education and training in addressing health inequalities in intellectual disabilities, before examining innovative approaches to healthcare education. Preliminary findings of a simulation training course to support healthcare professionals to work with people with intellectual disability are then presented. Design/methodology/approach This study employed a mixed methods design to assess the impact of the simulation course. Quantitative data were collected using the Healthcare Skills Questionnaire and a self-report confidence measure; qualitative data were collected using post-course survey with free text responses to open questions. Findings Healthcare skills and confidence showed statistical improvements from pre- to post-course. Qualitative analyses demonstrated that participants perceived improvements to: attitudes, communication skills, reasonable adjustments, interprofessional and multi-disciplinary working, knowledge of key issues in working with people with intellectual disabilities. Practical implications Encouraging findings imply that simulation training to address health inequalities in intellectual disabilities is a valuable resource that merits further development. This training should be rolled out more widely, along with ongoing longitudinal evaluation via robust methods to gauge the impact on participants, their workplaces, and people with intellectual disabilities. Originality/value The authors believe this paper to be the first to assess an interprofessional, high-fidelity simulation course, using actors as simulated patients to address the mental and physical health needs of people with intellectual disabilities. The rigorous use of co-production and co-delivery, alongside promising findings for this training method, represent a useful contribution to the literature.


2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 381-389 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy J. Razza ◽  
Laura Schwartz Dayan ◽  
Daniel Tomasulo ◽  
Michelle S. Ballan

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.


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