University of Glasgow

Academic Institute

Kirsty Dunn - Chief Investigator - University of GlasgowKirsty Dunn - Corresponding Applicant - University of GlasgowCraig Meville - Collaborator - University of GlasgowDouglas McConachie - Collaborator - Not from an OrganisationEwelina Rydzewska - Collaborator - University of GlasgowMaria Truesdale - Collaborator - University of GlasgowMichael Fleming - Collaborator - University of GlasgowRichard Hastings - Collaborator - University of Warwick

CPRD862

Research suggests that children and young people with intellectual disabilities experience higher levels of mental ill-health than those without intellectual disabilities. However, existing research in this field has often used unreliable measures of intellectual disabilities and/or mental health conditions. Older data have also been used but these studies are unlikely to reflect current levels of mental health conditions in the UK. There is very little research on the rate of mental health conditions over time for children and young people with intellectual disabilities. It is important to gain a clearer picture of the proportion of children and young people with specific mental health conditions in England, and the rate of mental health conditions over time, for this population in order to target resources effectively. In this study, we will describe the proportion of children and young people (aged 0–24 years) with and without intellectual disabilities who have mental health conditions. We will also describe the proportion with mental health conditions who receive psychotropic prescriptions, as well as referrals from GP to child, adolescent or adult psychiatry; psychotherapy; clinical psychology; or the community psychiatric nurse, and admission to psychiatric services in England.

Children and young people with intellectual disabilities are more likely to experience mental ill-health than the general population. However, prevalence rates vary and a number of issues remain with studies in the existing literature, such as diagnostic criteria used. The above studies also rely on data collected from between 1999 and 2011, so they do not give a picture of current prevalence rates or patterns of service use in the UK. Studies which have reported patterns of mental health conditions do not report prevalence of specific mental health conditions, or proportion with mental health conditions who receive psychotropic prescriptions or referrals/admissions to psychiatric services. It is important to gain a clearer picture of specific mental health condition prevalence, as well as prescription and psychiatric service use, for this population in order to target resources effectively.

25/01/2021

Release