Psychiatric care of adults with developmental disabilities and mental illness in the community

Large numbers of people with co-occurring developmental disorders and mental illnesses now live in the community. Though not specifically trained to care for this population, community psychiatrists already have the necessary basic concepts and skills from working with adults with persistent mental illnesses. There are, however, some population-specific aspects of information collection, clinical assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning and application of treatment. This paper presents a practical approach to the community mental health care of people with developmental disabilities and mental disorders.