Young People With and Without Intellectual Disability Accessing Mental Health Services: Evaluating Psychosocial...

Area of Science:

• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Intellectual Disability Research
• Mental Health Services Evaluation

Background:

• Growing recognition of psychosocial support needs for young people with intellectual disability (ID).
• Limited robust evaluation of intervention outcomes for this population in mental health services.
• ID frequently co-occurs with other neurodevelopmental conditions and behavioral difficulties (>50%).

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate psychosocial functioning outcomes in young people with ID receiving mental health services.
• To compare outcomes between young people with and without ID.
• To identify factors influencing treatment response in young people with ID.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 1986 episodes of care for young people with ID and 3968 matched controls (2001-2023).
• Data extracted from electronic health records of South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.
• Psychosocial functioning assessed using the Children's Global Assessment Scale (CGAS).

Main Results:

• ID was associated with lower CGAS scores at discharge compared to controls.
• Initial CGAS scores predicted discharge scores, but this association weakened with ID and specific comorbidities.
• Young people with severe/profound ID and comorbidities showed greater improvement rates than those with severe/profound ID alone.
• Only 20% of young people with ID achieved clinically significant improvement; 80% remained substantially impaired.

Conclusions:

• Most young people with ID experience persistent functional impairment post-discharge, underscoring complex needs.
• Sustained and targeted mental health support is crucial for this population.
• Further research is needed on specific interventions and treatment trajectories for young people with ID.