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Perspectives on pain and intellectual disability
F J Symons1, S K Shinde, E Gilles
1Department of Educational Psychology, Education Sciences Building, 56 River Road, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA. symon007@umn.edu
Journal of Intellectual Disability Research : JIDR
|January 22, 2008
Summary
Individuals with intellectual disability (ID) experience pain but have been historically excluded from research. Emerging research is improving pain assessment and understanding for this population.
Area of Science:
- Disability Studies
- Pain Research
- Medical Ethics
Background:
- Individuals with intellectual disability (ID) have historically been excluded from pain research.
- This exclusion has led to practices disregarding their capacity to experience or express pain.
- There is a need to re-evaluate assumptions about pain perception in individuals with ID.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current research on pain in individuals with intellectual disability (ID).
- To explore factors influencing the assessment of pain in this population.
- To highlight emerging perspectives in pain research for individuals with ID.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of interdisciplinary research on pain in intellectual disability (ID).
- Analysis of studies on pain definition, social context, and sensory systems.
- Examination of research on factors influencing judgments about pain experience.
Main Results:
- Evidence suggests individuals with ID are sensitive to pain, contrary to historical beliefs.
- Interdisciplinary research is improving pain assessment methods.
- Understanding of individual differences and biases in pain perception is growing.
Conclusions:
- New research perspectives are emerging for pain in individuals with intellectual disability (ID).
- This innovative research frontier promises significant improvements in quality of life.
- Addressing pain in ID requires challenging historical biases and improving assessment.
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