Prevalence of mental health conditions, sensory impairments and physical disability in people with co-occurring intellectual disabilities and autism compared with other people: a cross-sectional total population study in Scotland

Objectives To investigate prevalence of mental health conditions, sensory impairments and physical disability in children, adults and older adults with co-occurring intellectual disabilities and autism, given its frequent co-occurrence, compared with the general population.Design Whole country cohor...

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Main Authors: Ewelina Rydzewska, Sally-Ann Cooper, Kirsty Dunn, Michael Fleming
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2020-04-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/4/e035280.full
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author Ewelina Rydzewska
Sally-Ann Cooper
Kirsty Dunn
Michael Fleming
author_facet Ewelina Rydzewska
Sally-Ann Cooper
Kirsty Dunn
Michael Fleming
author_sort Ewelina Rydzewska
collection DOAJ
description Objectives To investigate prevalence of mental health conditions, sensory impairments and physical disability in children, adults and older adults with co-occurring intellectual disabilities and autism, given its frequent co-occurrence, compared with the general population.Design Whole country cohort study.Setting General community.Participants 5709 people with co-occurring intellectual disabilities and autism, compared with 5 289 694 other people.Outcome measures Rates and ORs with 95% CIs for mental health conditions, visual impairment, hearing impairment and physical disability in people with co-occurring intellectual disabilities and autism compared with other people, adjusted for age, sex and interaction between age and co-occurring intellectual disabilities and autism.Results All four long-term conditions were markedly more common in children, adults and older adults with co-occurring intellectual disabilities and autism compared with other people. For mental health, OR=130.8 (95% CI 117.1 to 146.1); visual impairment OR=65.9 (95% CI 58.7 to 73.9); hearing impairment OR=22.0 (95% CI 19.2 to 25.2); and physical disability OR=157.5 (95% CI 144.6 to 171.7). These ratios are also greater than previously reported for people with either intellectual disabilities or autism rather than co-occurring intellectual disabilities and autism.Conclusions We have quantified the more than double disadvantage for people with co-occurring intellectual disabilities and autism, in terms of additional long-term health conditions. This may well impact on quality of life. It raises challenges for staff working with these people in view of additional complexity in assessments, diagnoses and interventions of additional health conditions, as sensory impairments and mental health conditions in particular, compound with the persons pre-existing communication and cognitive problems in this context. Planning is important, with staff being trained, equipped, resourced and prepared to address the challenge of working for people with these conditions.
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spelling doaj-art-3ecbc9dba2bf4e01a474a1026f517b232025-08-20T02:36:03ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552020-04-0110410.1136/bmjopen-2019-035280Prevalence of mental health conditions, sensory impairments and physical disability in people with co-occurring intellectual disabilities and autism compared with other people: a cross-sectional total population study in ScotlandEwelina Rydzewska0Sally-Ann Cooper1Kirsty Dunn2Michael Fleming32University of EdinburghMental Health and Wellbeing research group, Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK2 Mental Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow School of Health and Wellbeing, Glasgow, UK2 Mental Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow School of Health and Wellbeing, Glasgow, UKObjectives To investigate prevalence of mental health conditions, sensory impairments and physical disability in children, adults and older adults with co-occurring intellectual disabilities and autism, given its frequent co-occurrence, compared with the general population.Design Whole country cohort study.Setting General community.Participants 5709 people with co-occurring intellectual disabilities and autism, compared with 5 289 694 other people.Outcome measures Rates and ORs with 95% CIs for mental health conditions, visual impairment, hearing impairment and physical disability in people with co-occurring intellectual disabilities and autism compared with other people, adjusted for age, sex and interaction between age and co-occurring intellectual disabilities and autism.Results All four long-term conditions were markedly more common in children, adults and older adults with co-occurring intellectual disabilities and autism compared with other people. For mental health, OR=130.8 (95% CI 117.1 to 146.1); visual impairment OR=65.9 (95% CI 58.7 to 73.9); hearing impairment OR=22.0 (95% CI 19.2 to 25.2); and physical disability OR=157.5 (95% CI 144.6 to 171.7). These ratios are also greater than previously reported for people with either intellectual disabilities or autism rather than co-occurring intellectual disabilities and autism.Conclusions We have quantified the more than double disadvantage for people with co-occurring intellectual disabilities and autism, in terms of additional long-term health conditions. This may well impact on quality of life. It raises challenges for staff working with these people in view of additional complexity in assessments, diagnoses and interventions of additional health conditions, as sensory impairments and mental health conditions in particular, compound with the persons pre-existing communication and cognitive problems in this context. Planning is important, with staff being trained, equipped, resourced and prepared to address the challenge of working for people with these conditions.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/4/e035280.full
spellingShingle Ewelina Rydzewska
Sally-Ann Cooper
Kirsty Dunn
Michael Fleming
Prevalence of mental health conditions, sensory impairments and physical disability in people with co-occurring intellectual disabilities and autism compared with other people: a cross-sectional total population study in Scotland
BMJ Open
title Prevalence of mental health conditions, sensory impairments and physical disability in people with co-occurring intellectual disabilities and autism compared with other people: a cross-sectional total population study in Scotland
title_full Prevalence of mental health conditions, sensory impairments and physical disability in people with co-occurring intellectual disabilities and autism compared with other people: a cross-sectional total population study in Scotland
title_fullStr Prevalence of mental health conditions, sensory impairments and physical disability in people with co-occurring intellectual disabilities and autism compared with other people: a cross-sectional total population study in Scotland
title_full_unstemmed Prevalence of mental health conditions, sensory impairments and physical disability in people with co-occurring intellectual disabilities and autism compared with other people: a cross-sectional total population study in Scotland
title_short Prevalence of mental health conditions, sensory impairments and physical disability in people with co-occurring intellectual disabilities and autism compared with other people: a cross-sectional total population study in Scotland
title_sort prevalence of mental health conditions sensory impairments and physical disability in people with co occurring intellectual disabilities and autism compared with other people a cross sectional total population study in scotland
url https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/4/e035280.full
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