An invisible morbidity?
Helen Prosser argues that the detection and diagnosis of mental health problems in adults with learning disabilities can be greatly improved.
18 May 1999
The mental health needs of adults with learning disabilities have become increasingly visible as a result of policies to move them from institutions into smaller homes based in the community. Recent research has also prompted growing awareness of the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in this population. Such is the level of interest that policy makers and clinicians in the fields of psychology and psychiatry have become particularly concerned with meeting this group’s mental health needs. Training of psychiatrists and psychologists in the area of learning disabilities is now established, and treatment is no longer limited to psychopharmacy.
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