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Mental health services for individuals with intellectual disabilities in Canada: findings from a national survey
- Authors:
- LUNSKY Y, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 20(5), September 2007, pp.439-447.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
This study aimed to document both the range of mental health services available to individuals with intellectual disabilities across Canada and the perceived service gaps. A 30-item questionnaire was developed that included questions on mental healthcare services for children, adolescents and adults with intellectual disabilities. This survey was sent to key informants in the 10 Canadian provinces and three territories. More than half of the respondents reported that generic mental health providers were poorly equipped to meet the needs of individuals with intellectual disabilities and mental health issues. Certain specialized services (inpatient treatment, emergency room expertise) were reported to exist by less than half of the respondents. Waitlists for specialized services were typically four months or longer. Respondents thought that training for staff and professionals was very important. Some specialized services for individuals with intellectual disabilities and mental health issues were reported to exist in Canada but the need for more specialized services and further training was identified. Documentation of these service gaps should lead to further efforts in Canada for the improvement in services and developing policy.
Geographical barriers to mental health service care among individuals with an intellectual disability in the Republic of Ireland
- Authors:
- RAMSAY Hugh, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 13(4), 2016, pp.261-268.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
People with an intellectual disability (ID) are more likely to experience mental health difficulties than others. The United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) states that health services should be provided close to people's own communities. This article examines differences in access to psychiatry services for those with an ID according to geography, in the context of a small European country (Republic of Ireland). The sample consisted of 753 individuals aged 40 and over with ID in the Republic of Ireland, with data collected from the Intellectual Disability Supplement of the Irish Longitudinal Study on Aging (IDS-TILDA). The primary outcome of interest was attendance with any psychiatrist and the primary independent variables were area of residence (health service region and degree of county urbanicity). Logistic regression was used to analyse associations, unadjusted and then controlling for age group, gender and level of ID. Secondary analysis examined factors associated with anti-psychotic prescription without psychiatrist supervision. Treatment by a psychiatrist was associated with both health region (p = 0.029) and degree of urbanicity (p = 0.015) before controlling for group differences but only the health region was significantly associated after controlling for age, gender and level of ID. Antipsychotic use without a psychiatrist was associated with degree of urbanicity (p = 0.036) but not with health service region (p = 0.989). Geographic factors are associated with access to mental health services among those with ID in the Republic of Ireland. This may be partly due to movement of people with ID away from their area of origin, highlighting the need for locally tailored specialist ID mental health teams and for further research into barriers to treatment. Additional work in other countries will further understanding of similar roles of geographic factors in mediating mental health services access. (Edited publisher abstract)
Equality and access to human rights for people with both learning disability and mental illness needs
- Authors:
- LAWSON Annette, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Advances in Mental Health and Learning Disabilities, 2(2), June 2008, pp.3-8.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
The UK's policy architecture, goals and values, and its service frameworks, for people with disabilities have been set in the context of the global (United Nations) and European (EU) advances. This article examines the impact of these structures and contexts on people with learning disabilities and mental illness. It explores how identities which cut across recognised categories of disadvantage limit the rights of those with both learning disabilities and mental health problems, and looks at some of the ways in which this problem is being addressed.
The All Wales Learning Disability Strategy: current status and implications for people with current status and implications for people with mental health needs or severe challenging behaviour
- Authors:
- FELCE David, ALLEN David
- Journal article citation:
- Advances in Mental Health and Learning Disabilities, 1(1), March 2007, pp.33-36.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
This article briefly summarises the main Welsh policy principles that apply to all people with learning disabilities, including those with mental health needs or severe challenging behaviour. The authors briefly review progress in supporting people with complex behavioural needs, reflect on areas where development in practice has not lived up to policy rhetoric and also examine the consequences of this policy to practice gap. The authors then describe current barriers to further service development. Finally they suggest a number of changes that are necessary for the current inadequacies to be resolved.
Equal treatment: closing the gap: information for primary care trusts, local authorities and strategic health authorities
- Author:
- DISABILITY RIGHTS COMMISSION
- Publisher:
- Disability Rights Commission
- Publication year:
- 2006
- Pagination:
- 5p.
- Place of publication:
- London
This report probed the experience of people with mental health problems and/or learning disabilities of primary care services in England and Wales (1) after international research showed that these two groups were at higher risk of serious physical health problems. From December 2006, the NHS – including Primary Care Trusts in England and Local Health Boards in Wales - will come under the Disability Equality Duty which places them under an obligation to ensure that their policies and practices do not discriminate, and do promote equal opportunities for disabled people. But a wide range of current practices, identified by the investigation, could clearly breach this duty. The investigation provides important new evidence that people with learning disabilities and people with mental health problems are more likely to experience major illness, to develop serious health conditions at an earlier age and to die of them sooner than other people. Yet they are also less likely to receive some of the important evidence-based treatments and health checks than others with the same condition but without a mental health condition or learning disability. They also face real barriers to accessing services.
Payments reform stalls
- Author:
- REVANS Lauren
- Journal article citation:
- Community Care, 28.9.00, 2000, p.12.
- Publisher:
- Reed Business Information
After a slow start the take-up of direct payments among disabled people is increasing. However, it is a different story among mental health service users.
Effect of the COVID‐19 pandemic on the mental health of carers of people with intellectual disabilities
- Authors:
- WILLNER Paul, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 33(6), 2020, pp.1523-1533.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Introduction: The measures implemented to manage the COVID‐19 pandemic have been shown to impair mental health. This problem is likely to be exacerbated for carers. Method: Informal carers (mainly parents) of children and adults with intellectual disabilities, and a comparison group of parents of children without disabilities, completed an online questionnaire. Almost all the data were collected while strict lockdown conditions were in place. Results: Relative to carers of children without intellectual disability, carers of both children and adults with intellectual disability had significantly greater levels of a wish fulfilment coping style, defeat/entrapment, anxiety, and depression. Differences were 2–3 times greater than reported in earlier pre‐pandemic studies. Positive correlations were found between objective stress scores and all mental health outcomes. Despite their greater mental health needs, carers of those with intellectual disability received less social support from a variety of sources. Conclusions: The greater mental health needs of carers in the context of lesser social support raises serious concerns. We consider the policy implications of these findings. (Edited publisher abstract)
Stakeholder‐driven approach to developing a peer‐mentoring intervention for young adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities and co‐occurring mental health conditions
- Authors:
- SCHWARTZ Ariel E., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 33(5), 2020, pp.992-1004.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Background: Young adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities and co‐occurring mental health conditions (IDD‐MH) experience significant mental health disparities. Barriers to services include transportation and stigma associated with services. Peer mentoring (PM) may be one solution to these barriers. Methods: We conducted exploratory research to develop a PM intervention for young adults with IDD‐MH by partnering with 3 young adults with IDD‐MH and a seven‐member advisory board. In addition, we conducted focus groups with mental health clinicians (n = 10), peer providers (n = 9), and transition specialists (n = 20) to identify the desired PM outcomes and features and content that may facilitate these outcomes. Results: Prioritized outcome: identifying and utilizing leisure activities as coping strategies. PM features: mentors should use relationship‐ and outcome‐driven actions to operationalize a mentee‐centred approach. Features and content considerations: safety, mentor matching, degree of structure, mentor training and support, and collaboration with mentees’ support teams. Discussion: Findings are aligned with previous research on PM. (Edited publisher abstract)
Establishing core mental health workforce attributes for the effective mental health care of people with an intellectual disability and co-occurring mental ill health
- Authors:
- WEISE Janelle, FISHER Karen R., TROLLOR Julian N.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 30(Supplement S1), 2017, pp.22-33.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Background: People with intellectual disability experience high rates of mental ill health but multiple barriers to access to quality mental health care. One significant barrier to access is a generalist mental health workforce that lacks capacity, and consensus on what constitutes core workforce competencies in this area. As such, the first step in developing a comprehensive strategy that addresses these barriers is to define the core mental health workforce attributes. Methods: Thirty-six intellectual disability mental health experts from across Australia participated in a modified online Delphi which aimed to reach consensus on the core attributes required of the generalist mental health workforce. At the end of each Delphi round, descriptive analyses and thematic analyses were completed. Results: Consensus was reached among the participants for 102 attributes across 14 clinical domains. The results highlighted specific attributes in all areas of clinical practice, especially for communication (e.g., utilises assistive communication technology), assessment (e.g., assess contributing factors to behaviours) and intervention (e.g., uses integrative interventions).Conclusion: A comprehensive strategy is required to facilitate the generalist mental health workforce to obtain these attributes. (Edited publisher abstract)
Access to services by children with intellectual disability and mental health problems: population-based evidence from the UK
- Authors:
- TOMS Gill, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 40(3), 2015, pp.239-247.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Background: Children with intellectual disability (ID) experience high levels of mental health problems that may require access to professional support. However, there is limited information about how frequently these children access services. Method: A survey of mental health in children living in the United Kingdom (UK) by the Office of National Statistics in 2004 (N = 7,977) was used to examine levels of service access. Children with ID and mental health problems were compared to children with mental health problems (without ID), children with ID and no mental health problems, and typically developing children. Results: Children with ID and mental health problems accessed specialist mental health services at higher rates than children with only ID, but at similar rates to children who only have mental health problems. Conclusions: Overall, low levels of service access highlight likely high unmet need among children with ID, mental health problems, and both conditions. (Publisher abstract)