Introduction: Mental health assessment in autistic individuals with intellectual disabilities may be challenging. Findings from non-autistic samples indicate overlap between obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and psychotic disorder/schizophrenia, but little is known about this potential overlap in autistic people. Methods: Explorative,…

Background: The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of unknown comorbid mental disorders in individuals with mild/moderate intellectual disability (ID) with/without autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and to compare the severity of challenging behavior with respect to the comorbidity of ASD and comorbid psychiatric disorders. Methods:…

Introduction: Adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) face a high risk of developing psychiatric disorders, yet there is a lack of valid instruments measuring psychopathology in this population. Two existing instruments are the PAS-ADD Checklist questionnaire and the Mini PAS-ADD interview, two third-party assessments that can be used for the…

Introduction: Individuals with Down syndrome (DS) and IDD have lower psychiatric disorders rates than other individuals with IDD, and more information is needed about possible unique mental health needs of this group. Method: De-identified intake data for individuals with IDD, 101 with DS (mean age 27) and 4,366 without DS (mean age 25) served in…

The purpose of this article is to discuss the Royal College of Psychiatrists' Report 230, "Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in individuals with intellectual disability" which aims to reduce the frequent misdiagnosis of this condition in people with ID, as shown in the case vignette that begins our commentary. The College…

Introduction: The goal of this study was to examine socialization in adults with intellectual disability in relation to gender, level of intellectual disability, mental illness, and setting type. Methods: The sample consisted of 120 participants (60 males and 60 females), aged between 20 and 56 years, divided into two groups: 1. participants with…

Background: There is no study to date that has examined the association between history of abuse and adaptive functioning deficits in youth with co-occurring and psychotic disorders or mood disorders. Method: This study used a retrospective chart review of 98 youth under the age of 18 (Mean age = 16.06 years) with co-occurring intellectual…

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to gain additional insight on patterns of behavior of three individuals dually diagnosed with intellectual disability (ID) and bipolar disorder as they cycled between elevated and depressed mood states. Methods: Data were collected from weekly, one-hour observations across a period of several months. The…

A nationwide survey of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) was conducted with the aim of exploring outcomes in adolescence and adulthood. The purpose of this article is to evaluate the representativeness of the study population and to describe the study population. In total, 1,734 parents and 933 individuals with ASD returned…

Individuals with intellectual disability (ID) experience high rates of psychiatric disorders, and coinciding high rates of emergency service use. The current study seeks to explore strategies to improve outcomes by reporting a one-year prospective investigation among 41 individuals (Mean age = 32 years, SD = 12) with ID and mental health needs who…

Accurate population rates of depression can inform allocation of health resources and service planning, to counter the impact of depression on quality of life and morbidity. A systematic review of the rates of depression in children and adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and without intellectual disability (high-functioning [HF] ASD) was…

Despite the fact that adults with both intellectual disabilities (ID) and psychiatric disorders are at increased risk for physical health problems, few studies have described their medical concerns specifically. This study reports on the rates of physical health issues and completion of recommended health screenings among 78 adult outpatients with…

Approximately one third of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities have emotion dysregulation and challenging behaviors (CBs). Although research has not yet confirmed that existing treatments adequately reduce CBs in this population, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) holds promise, as it has been shown to effectively reduce CBs in…

Research regarding the prevalence of psychiatric conditions co-occurring with intellectual disability in adults was reviewed. Particular attention was paid to the qualities of sampling and diagnostic methodology, which have been identified as needs in two recent reviews. Sixteen articles published in peer-reviewed journals between 2003 and 2009…

This general review situates Australian research within a framework that quantifies and describes mental health needs of the population with intellectual disabilities across the life span, surveys service provision, and develops the evidence base to inform clinicians regarding assessment and management of psychopathology and psychiatric disorder…