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Low mood and challenging behaviour in people with severe and profound intellectual disabilities
- Authors:
- HAYES S., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 55(2), February 2011, pp.182-189.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
“Diagnostic overshadowing” has been an obstacle for people with intellectual disabilities (ID) exhibiting symptoms of a mental illness. Progress has been made but there remains a tendency to assume that challenging behaviour stems from the ID rather than being symptomatic of mental illness. This study investigated the relationship between low mood and challenging behaviour in people with severe and profound ID, while controlling for the presence of potentially confounding variables such as diagnosis of autism, physical and sensory problems and ill health. The key workers of 52 people with severe and profound ID, living in residential care in Ireland, completed measures of depression, communication, challenging behaviour and provided information on demographic and health variables. Using the Mood, Interest and Pleasure Questionnaire, a significant difference was found between a ‘low mood’ and ‘normothymic’ group in the reported occurrence of challenging behaviour. This difference remained after confounding variables such as the presence of autism, health and sensory difficulties were controlled. The frequency and severity of challenging behaviour was predicted by measures indicating the presence of low mood. The authors conclude that people with severe and profound ID show clear and measurable signs of low mood, and in this relatively small sample of institutionalised individuals, low mood was associated with challenging behaviour.
Irish attitudes to sexual relationships and people with intellectual disability
- Authors:
- McCONKEY Roy, LEAVEY Gerry
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 41(3), 2013, pp.181-188.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Limited progress has been made in supporting people with intellectual disabilities to form intimate relationships. A critical factor that has been rarely researched is the attitude of the general public which likely has a significant influence on public policy on this issue. Unique to Ireland, are the five-yearly national surveys commissioned by the National Disability Authority that recruit representative samples of over 1000 adult persons. On three occasions in the past 10 years, respondents were asked to rate their agreement that people with various disabilities and with mental health difficulties had the right to fulfilment through sexual relationships and to have children if they wished. Secondary analysis of the 2011 data set identified those persons who were more likely to be in agreement and also the concerns raised by respondents. The findings are discussed in relation to priorities for future research and actions needed to reduce the stigma associated with disability or mental ill health. (Publisher abstract)