Managing challenging behavior in people with intellectual disabilities in communities and reducing hospital stays: Current and future challenges from an European perspective

Abstract

Prevalence of intellectual disability (ID) ranges from 0.05 to 1.55%. A total of10–15% of the people with ID present with challenging behavior (CB). This causes a significant strain on mental health services. People with ID; end up staying in psychiatric inpatient units for longer periods. Most people with ID move out of their family home to various care settings due to severity of their behavior difficulties. Few European countries have specialist services for people with ID whereas most countries manage people with ID and CB using adult mental health services. There is ongoing debate whether patients with ID and CB need to be managed by specialist services. There are significant financial implications looking after people with ID and CB. This has often led to over prescribing of psychotropic medications to people with ID without a mental disorder to manage their behaviors. There are significant strains on mental health services to manage people with ID and CB. This presentation discusses. Describe people with CB and ID and their characteristics including mental disorder, use of psychotropic medications, socio demographic factors and financial costs to look after them. Social and health care approach to look after people with CB in the UK, Challenges to develop services for people with CB in ID in Germany and Poland. Do we need specialist services for people with ID and CB? Pros and cons.

Disclosure of interest

COI: Bhathika Perera, I have received travel grants from pharmaceutical companies to attend ADHD conferences and I have been a speaker at pharmaceutical company sponsored events on ADHD.