Persons with intellectual disability receiving psychiatric treatment.
Adults with mild ID who live alone are the heaviest users of psychiatric care, so flag them early for mental-health support.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Smith et al. (1997) looked at who gets psychiatric help among adults with intellectual disability.
They checked age, ID level, and living situation. Then they counted how much psychiatric care each person used.
What they found
Older adults with mild ID who live alone use the most psychiatric services.
Younger adults or those with severe ID use less, even if they live alone.
How this fits with other research
Chaplin et al. (2010) saw the same pattern: independent living boosts outpatient visits.
Jacobson (1998) seems to disagree. He found behavior severity, not living status, drives weekly psychology contacts. The gap is method: G counted any psychiatric service; W counted only psychology contacts tied to severe behavior.
Myrbakk et al. (2008) add that severe behavior often signals hidden psychiatric disorders. So both living alone and behavior matter, just in different service channels.
Why it matters
When you meet an adult with mild ID who lives alone, plan for higher mental-health needs. Screen early, build community supports, and track for crisis signs. This small shift can cut later emergency visits and improve quality of life.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Determinants of (1) referral to psychiatric services and (2) the amount of mental health care consumed were analysed in a population of individuals with intellectual disability, using data from a cumulative mental health case register in a defined geographical area. Associations between level of disability, gender, age and social environment on the one hand, and psychiatric referral and service consumption on the other were expressed as odds ratios (ORs). Being older (OR = 1.9; 95% CI = 1.5-2.5), having milder intellectual disability (OR = 1.4; 95% CI = 0.9-2.3) and living alone (OR = 5.8; 95% CI = 2.8-11.9) predicted a higher probability of receiving psychiatric treatment. Living alone (OR = 15.3; 95% CI = 1.7-136.1) was also associated with higher level of mental health service consumption.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 1997 · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2788.1997.tb00744.x