In recent years, more attention has been given to mental health and IDD, including nontraditional therapeutic options.
Photo by Edwin Tan, courtesy iStockphoto
Nearly 20% of U.S. adults are estimated to be living with a mental illness, according to Mental Health America. But for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities, that estimate increases to as high as 35%, with depression a common issue, research has found.
Despite the higher prevalence, family and caregivers often overlook mental health conditions in people with IDD, which can include the same conditions that occur in other people, such as anxiety disorders, obsessive behavior or bipolar disorder.
At the same time, people with IDD can also be misdiagnosed as having a mental health issue. For example, some people with IDD have problems with communication and experience frustration, which can be misconstrued as depression or chronic anxiety.
“Children of elementary or middle school age are sometimes diagnosed as suffering from a psychiatric condition, when they’re actually suffering from communication elements or issues related more to neurodevelopmental disorder,” said Yaara Zisman-Ilani, PhD, MA, assistant professor of social and behavioral studies at Temple University College of Public Health.
The good news is that awareness is increasing. In recent years more attention has been given to mental health and IDD, including more therapeutic options.
In a study published in 2022, researchers found that people with IDD, including people with autism, who experience mild or moderate depression benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy, without a need for drugs. But many clinicians use only pharmaceutical treatments, which are often ineffective and come with side effects.
“Clinicians treating this population often rely on their own clinical experience when deciding on the treatment,” the researchers said. “This most often bypasses the psychotherapy treatment approach and resorts to psychopharmacology only.”
Another shift has been offering therapies that show anecdotal success at improving mood and behavior among patients with special needs. Among these are speech therapy, self-care, learning domestic chores and social skills, practicing mindfulness and meditation, and physical activity. The methods can improve both mobility and independence.
More emphasis is also being placed on communication between providers and patients with IDD in mental health treatment, Zisman-Ilani said.
“Every person with every condition in any intensity should have the right to be involved in decision-making about their care,” Zisman-Ilani told The Nation’s Health. “Most of my work is with people with serious mental illness. This includes people with schizophrenia, people with major depression. Research shows that people with various health conditions can be involved in decision-making about their treatment.”
The American Psychiatric Association and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration have endorsed shared decision-making between providers and patients on treatments.
For more information, visit www.psychiatry.org.
- Copyright The Nation’s Health, American Public Health Association
