Health, healthcare utilization and psychiatric disorder in people with intellectual disability in Taiwan.

Dagnan et al. (2005) pulled health-insurance records for Taiwanese adults with intellectual disability. They counted how many also had a psychiatric diagnosis and how often each person used outpatient, inpatient, and emergency care.

The team wanted to see if mental-health needs drive extra medical visits in this group.

One in eight adults with ID had a psychiatric disorder. That same group racked up more clinic visits, hospital stays, and emergency trips than peers without mental-health diagnoses.

The authors say the system needs stronger community mental-health supports to ease the load.

Lin et al. (2006) zoomed in on emergency care and found 18% of the same population visited ERs within seven months. Their number is higher because they tracked a shorter window, not because they disagree.

Chiang et al. (2013) later showed children with ID average 20 outpatient visits a year and cost three times more than typical kids. Together the papers trace a lifelong pattern: heavy, steady use of all medical tiers once ID and psychiatric issues overlap.

Hsu et al. (2014) added a decade-long view: psychotropic prescribing for people with ID rose from 18% to 23%. The climb supports the target paper’s call for better mental-health supports rather than just more meds.

If you serve adults with ID, expect one in eight to have an active psychiatric condition and to consume extra appointments, beds, and crisis visits. Build your care plans with that volume in mind: schedule regular mental-health screens, coordinate with psychiatrists early, and teach families when to seek outpatient help before problems escalate to ERs.