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There are high rates of emotional, behavioural and psychiatric problems (Cooper et al, 2007) in the learning disability population. This paper describes the Mental Health in Learning Disabilities (MHiLD) service for adults with learning disabilities in four South London boroughs. This service has been in operation in two South East London boroughs from 1982, and was extended to a third in 1999 and a fourth in 2006.

Three separate focus groups were conducted to compare the views of service users, carers and specialist health professionals on community services for adults with psychosis and learning disabilities. Participants were asked which staff, treatments or interventions and methods of working or style of service organisation make a significant contribution to helping people with psychosis and learning disabilities. Although there were few direct contradictions or conflicts between the three groups, the priorities of service users, carers and professionals often differed. Development of community services for adults with psychosis and learning disabilities should incorporate the views of service users and their carers as well as clinicians.

This study aimed to examine for differences on how symptoms relating to depression and anxiety were reported by males and females with intellectual disability as part of the development of the Self‐Assessment Intervention Package (SAINT), a guided self‐help tool.

Three self‐report questionnaires were administered (The Glasgow Depression Scale – Learning Disabilities (GDS‐LD)), Glasgow Anxiety Scale – Intellectual Disabilities (GAS‐ID) and Self‐Assessment Intervention Package (SAINT) to a group of people with mild intellectual disabilities (n=36), to allow comparison of symptom reporting between genders, in particular examining the SAINT across the two groups.

Statistically significant differences in self‐reported symptoms as assessed with SAINT were found between males and females. The symptoms where related mainly to mood and self‐esteem. Overall, endorsement of self‐reported depressive symptoms was between 2.7‐3.2 times higher in female than male patients.

There was evidence to suggest differences in self‐report and symptom profiles of depression and anxiety of males and females with mild intellectual disabilities with females reporting higher in terms of symptoms using the SAINT. The SAINT is a valid tool for screening and self‐reporting symptoms of anxiety and depression in people with intellectual disabilities.