Descriptive study of patients with intellectual disability attended in a community mental health care center

Abstract

Introduction

The rate of mental illness among people with intellectual disability is at least 2.5 times higher than in the general population [1].

Objective

To describe the clinical and sociodemographic characteristics of all patients with intellectual disability treated in a community mental health care center (CMH) located in a city of 120,000 inhabitants on the outskirts of Barcelona with a high poverty index.

Methods

Documents and patient records were reviewed. Clinical, sociodemographic and other treatment data of patients with intellectual disability treated at the CMH were collected.

Results

The sample consisted of 118 patients. Mean age: 39.5 (SD: 15), 54% men. 92% single and 23.7% legally incapacitated. 46.6% never completed basic education and 44.1% completed primary school. Employment status: 14.4% unemployed, 14.4% currently active, and 50% pensioned. Patients living mainly with their family (parents:) 86%. 68.6% of patients showed aggressive behavior, but the rate of hospital psychiatric admissions was low (mean: 1.1 (SD: 2.3)). Organic comorbidity: 44.9%. Functionality measured with GAF mean: 45 (SD: 12). Level of intellectual disability was mostly mild (62%). Psychiatric diagnoses were: psychotic disorders: 49.25%, affective disorders: 6.8%, personality disorder: 3.4%, Obsessive-compulsive disorder: 3.4%, autism: 11.9% and other diagnoses: 37.3%. Patients treated with anti-psychotics: 78.8%, anti-depressants: 40.7%, and mood stabilizers: 70.5%.

Conclusions

Intellectually disabled patients from our sample showed high comorbidity with psychotic disorders, were highly medicated and often exhibited aggressive behavior.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.