Intellectual disabilities, depressive episode, diagnostic criteria and Diagnostic Criteria for Psychiatric Disorders for Use with Adults with Learning Disabilities/Mental Retardation (DC-LD).
Use DC-LD criteria when you document signs of depression in adults with ID.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Elita and colleagues looked at how to spot depression in adults with intellectual disability.
They wrote a narrative review of the new DC-LD checklist.
The team asked: do these plain-language signs match real sadness in people who cannot say "I feel blue"?
What they found
Field tests showed the DC-LD list caught depression better than standard DSM rules.
Yet the authors said, "We still need more work to prove it helps every day."
In short: good tool, but not finished.
How this fits with other research
Dudley et al. (2019) warn that U.S. health counts still miss most adults with ID.
If we cannot find the people, we cannot use DC-LD to check their mood.
Keintz et al. (2011) used a different tool, the DBC, and showed severe and profound groups act differently.
This supports DC-LD’s move to split levels instead of lumping everyone together.
Together the papers say: pick the right level, then pick the right checklist.
Why it matters
You now have a free, ID-friendly list for depression.
Use DC-LD when your client shows sleep change, face pulling, or social withdrawal.
Write each sign in plain words in your report.
Until stronger trials arrive, this is your best evidence-based choice.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Depressive episode is one of the most common types of psychiatric illness that occurs in adults with intellectual disabilities. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was undertaken using Medline, PsychLIT and hand-searching of key journals. This paper reviews the evidence and integrates findings, to report how evidence relates to the development of the new Diagnostic Criteria for Psychiatric Disorders for Use with Adults with Learning Disabilities/Mental Retardation[DC-LD] depressive episode criteria. RESULTS: This area is better researched than many others, providing evidence on clinical symptomatology and presentation. In view of the lack of utility of standard diagnostic criteria developed for use with the general population, and set within the historical context, there are clearly identified reasons for the introduction of DC-LD. The depressive episode category has been informed by the evidence, and field trials showed excellent validity compared with the gold standard of learning disabilities psychiatric assessment. CONCLUSIONS: The DC-LD depressive episode category may improve clinical diagnosis and facilitate research. Its usefulness and limitations are yet to be determined in detail.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2003 · doi:10.1046/j.1365-2788.47.s1.26.x