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People with intellectual disabilities experience poorer health outcomes than the general population, and a significantly increased risk of mental health comorbidity. Their access to healthcare has been consistently shown as inadequate, and their access to mental health support is still largely wanting. Adequate training and education should improve these shortcomings but there is limited evidence available as to the best way to achieve this. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

This paper reports on the co-production and co-delivery of a simulation training course to support healthcare professionals to provide care for people with intellectual disabilities, with a particular focus on their mental health needs. This training was designed with actors with intellectual disabilities, who participated as simulated patients in scenarios during the course and subsequently provided feedback on their experience.

This paper focusses on the positive experiences of the simulated patients, reporting on and interpreting their direct feedback on their experience of contributing to the development and delivery of the course and being involved as co-educators.

It is highlighted that the co-production and delivery of this simulation training with people with intellectual disabilities has the potential to realise some of the key principles called upon when attempting to improve how they are treated, by illustrating concrete participation, independence, and access to fulfilling lives. The value and benefits of interprofessional education to achieve these educational aims is further highlighted, particularly for the potential to generate a sense of shared responsibility within mainstream services in caring for people with intellectual disabilities.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The purpose of this paper is to comment on the development and implementation of transforming care (TC) and whether it has failed people with autism.

This paper is a commentary.

The number of people with autism being admitted to assessment and treatment units is increasing despite the aims of TC. The authors argue that TC, in serving such a diverse group of people, may have failed to identify the heterogeneity of such groups or recognise the different needs of people with mental illness and people with behaviours that challenge; and that TC could be regarded as a policy that only affects people with an intellectual disability.

Policymakers, policy implementers and health and social care staff may consider reviewing their practice to ensure that TC works for people with autism and their family and carers.

Expert consensus is that people with an intellectual disability are over represented across the criminal justice setting (CJS). Primary research studies have been conducted in police stations and prisons, but little is known about the prevalence of this population in the court setting. The purpose of this paper is to conduct a literature review to find out more about the prevalence of defendants with an intellectual disability in court.

A literature review was conducted using standard systematic review methodology (Julian et al., 2011) and the PRISMA reporting guidelines (Moher et al., 2009).

Two papers met the inclusion criteria and were critically appraised. The papers reported prevalence findings ranging from 10%–20%.

Differences in study design, sampling, recruitment and diagnostic criteria affect the ability to make comparisons or synthesise findings.

It is important that future primary and secondary research studies standardise operational terms to enable true comparison between studies, systematic reviews and evidence syntheses.

Defendants with an intellectual disability need to be identified to enable criminal justice professionals to make reasonable adjustments to proceedings and consider diversion and alternative disposal options. This will likely improve outcomes for this population and reduce recidivism.

This literature review contributes to the growing evidence base about meeting the criminal justice needs of people with a learning disability and recognition of the increased prevalence across the CJS and specifically within the court setting.

The purpose of this paper is to outline a two-year project designed to reduce health inequalities and improve health outcomes of people with intellectual disabilities using health services in South London by raising awareness and increasing health staff confidence and capability.

The project was conducted in two stages. In stage 1, a mapping exercise was undertaken to establish existing intellectual disabilities education and training availability. In stage 2, a network of stakeholders was formed and education and training materials were developed and delivered.

A formal evaluation of the project is underway and this paper seeks to share information about the project. That said prima facie data appear to indicate that health staff who attended education and training events learned new knowledge and skills that they could implement in their practice, increasing confidence and capability.

Health staff who attended the events appeared to have an interest in intellectual disabilities and wanted to increase their knowledge and skills base. This means that there is a significant group of health staff that the project was unable to reach or who may not know that they need to know about intellectual disabilities. The results of the project have not yet been formally analysed.

Work-based education and training events can have a positive impact on health staff capability and confidence, however, it would appear that only those who already have an interest in the field or recognise its value to their own practice attend such events. To truly capture all health staff intellectual disabilities needs to be visibly included in all health curricula.

This project has not focussed on one profession or one aspect of healthcare and has embraced the values of inter professional and inter agency learning; this has enabled health staff to learn from each other and think in a “joined up” way replicating the realities of providing healthcare to people with intellectual disabilities.

The purpose of this paper is to examine guided self-help (GSH), and some of the barriers as to why it is not routinely available for people with intellectual disabilities (IDs).

This paper offers an overview of GSH and the potential benefits of it as an intervention for people with ID with mild depression and/or anxiety.

The current literature reports the successful use and effectiveness of GSH in the general population. However, despite this there is little evidence that it is being used in practice for people with ID.

This paper offers an overview of GSH and advocates for its increasing use for people with ID to help bring about equality in mental healthcare.