Adults with intellectual disability experience high rates of potentially preventable lifestyle related illnesses; yet remain poorly engaged in healthy lifestyle interventions. We aim to improve the quality of physical activity and nutrition related care available to adults with intellectual disability.
Historically, public services for people with an intellectual disability (ID) were delivered through institutional models of care. However, from the 1960s, in response to the disability rights movement, which advocated for deinstitutionalisation and normalisation for people with a disability the landscape of service provision started to evolve.
The Guide has been developed to provide a national framework of understanding and action for frontline mental health service providers with respect to people with an intellectual disability.
This study used linked data from a large sample of people with schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders in NSW to understand what physical health problems people with these mental illnesses have, how they access health services for these conditions, other complicating factors and how these may relate to negative outcomes including avoidable deaths. This will inform the development of specific strategies that will allow health services to better meet the needs of people with psychotic disorders.
Researchers at the UNSW and the Autism CRC are seeking volunteer research participants to learn about life in adulthood for people on the autism spectrum. We are looking for both autistic AND non-autistic adults who are 25 years or older, as well as carers / close family members of autistic adults to take part in a questionnaire study. Click here to register to participate.
The project involves the design and creation of education/training materials that builds capacity of general and mental health staff within NSLHD, as well as community managed organisations, working with people with intellectual disability. The work within this project forms part of the Intellectual Disability Mental Health (IDMH) Specialist Team and Training Program (STP).
Research findings suggest that students with a disability experience higher rates of mental ill-health than their peers, but schools are not confident in their ability to support the mental health and wellbeing of students with disability.
Psychiatrists have a key role within the mental health workforce to deliver quality mental health care to people with intellectual and developmental disability and co-occurring mental ill health. However, Australian psychiatrists both at a trainee and consultant level have reported that they have received insufficient education in this area, and lack confidence to provide quality care for this group. To address these concerns there have been consistent calls for advanced, subspecialty training in intellectual and developmental disability for psychiatrists.
This project involved an analysis of the Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health (BEACH) data set (January 2003-December 2012) to identify: the problems and disorders for which people with ID seek medical and mental health care in Australia, the way in which the problems and disorders are managed, the treatments offered, the characteristics of the general practitioners (GPs) who provide care to people with an intellectual disability (ID), and the length and type of consultation.
Dementia and deliberate self-harm represent substantial public health burdens in the older population. However, the health outcomes, referral pathways and predictors of death are not well understood. Late-life depression has been linked to dementia and deliberate self-harm. The growing aging population, along with the high prevalence of depression in older adults has significant implications for the planning and equipping of health services to meet the needs of affected individuals.
The e-Learning site www.idhealtheducation.edu.au was launched on 22 July 2013. The site is an interactive education resource for everyone with an interest in intellectual disability mental health. Under the ‘Health Professionals’ section, there are modules for health and mental health practitioners. Under ‘Disability Professionals, there are modules for paid disability service providers.
3DN has assisted several trainee psychiatrists in obtaining an in depth 1 year training experience in intellectual disability and mental health. These Fellowships are awarded on a competitive basis by the NSW Institute of Psychiatry, and the majority have been funded by Aging Disability and Home Care NSW Government Department of Family and Community Services. They provide a salary for a senior psychiatry trainee for a 12 month (6 month for forensic fellows) in depth immersion in ID psychiatry.
People with ID are experiencing increasing rates of life-limiting illnesses such as respiratory diseases, circulatory diseases and cancer, but are under-referred to palliative care services.
People with intellectual disability (ID) are a minority group who experience very poor mental health status, major barriers in access to mental health services and treatments, and an impoverished service system characterised by poor cross-sector coordination and poor preparedness of staff to meet
This project involved a number of components aimed at determining the capacity of the NSW mental health workforce in the area of intellectual disability mental health, and to define the core attributes that they require to deliver a quality mental health service that meets the needs of people wit
Our research shows that the mental health workforce is ill-equipped to meet the mental health needs of people with intellectual disability, with staff receiving little education around making necessary adaptations to provide quality care for this group. Similarly, at a systems level, there is poor delineation of responsibilities and interagency pathways between different government services.
People with an intellectual disability can experience communication difficulties, and these difficulties have been identified as a barrier to accessing and participating in health care. Accessible health-related information is important for supporting the best health outcomes for people with an intellectual disability.
With initial funding from the Endeavour Foundation Disability Research Fund 2021 Research Award, we aim to achieve preliminary conceptualisation and development of contribution outcome measures. This work will challenge deficit-based paradigms and be pivotal in debates regarding NDIS assessments and funding.
