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.
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.
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 Specialist Team and Training Program (STP).
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.
People with intellectual disability 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 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 ment
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 intellectual disability psychiatry.
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.
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.
Our Partnership Team is conducting a co-designed research project that aims to improve access to, and quality of preventive health care across the lifespan for people with intellectual disability.
People with an intellectual disability experience reduced life expectancy and an excessive morbidity burden compared to other Australians. Positive and preventative interventions are needed to address excessive cardiometabolic morbidity and mortality in this population. This project is phase one of a larger study investigating responsible psychotropic prescription in people with intellectual disability.
Compared to the general population, people with intellectual disabilities are more likely to experience multiple health disadvantages including an elevated mortality rate and lower age of death. They are also at increased risk of dying from potentially avoidable causes.
The SAge-ID Study is looking at what factors help a person with intellectual disability to stay healthy as they age. A focus of the study is the checklists and assessment tools that might be useful for tracking cognitive skills in people with intellectual disability, and which tools might be suitable for assessing dementia in people with intellectual disability.
It is well acknowledged that inappropriate placement of younger people (aged <65 years) in residential aged care (RAC), often due to a lack of other options, contributes to a number of significant issues, including social isolation, lack of appropriate recreational activities, and a lack of su
People living with dementia experience high rates of mental and physical health problems. It is important that the health system is prepared to meet their needs. Most research has focused on the health of people living with Alzheimer’s disease, the most common type of dementia.
