TY - JOUR

T1 - Comorbidity of intellectual disability and mental disorder in children and adolescents

T2 - a systematic review

AU - Einfeld, S L

AU - Ellis, L

AU - Emerson, Eric

PY - 2011/6

Y1 - 2011/6

N2 - Background Mental disorder and intellectual disability each accounts for substantial burden of disease. However, the extent of this co-occurrence varies substantially between reports. We sought to determine whether studies in children and/or adolescents with acceptably rigorous methods can be distinguished from existing reports, and whether key risk factors could be ascertained.Method Published studies investigating the prevalence of mental disorders in children and/or adolescents with intellectual disability were reviewed.Results Nine studies with acceptable methods were identified, 4 which compared the prevalence of mental disorder in populations of those with and without intellectual disability, and a further 5 studies that estimated the rates of mental disorder in those with intellectual disability were identified. Collectively, these studies demonstrate rates of comorbidity for children and adolescents between 30 and 50% with a relative risk of mental disorder associated with intellectual disability ranging from 2.8–4.5. The risks for this comorbidity associated with age, gender, severity of intellectual disability, and socioeconomic status remain uncertain.Conclusions Appreciation of this comorbidity needs to be a fundamental component of both mental health and intellectual disability services.

AB - Background Mental disorder and intellectual disability each accounts for substantial burden of disease. However, the extent of this co-occurrence varies substantially between reports. We sought to determine whether studies in children and/or adolescents with acceptably rigorous methods can be distinguished from existing reports, and whether key risk factors could be ascertained.Method Published studies investigating the prevalence of mental disorders in children and/or adolescents with intellectual disability were reviewed.Results Nine studies with acceptable methods were identified, 4 which compared the prevalence of mental disorder in populations of those with and without intellectual disability, and a further 5 studies that estimated the rates of mental disorder in those with intellectual disability were identified. Collectively, these studies demonstrate rates of comorbidity for children and adolescents between 30 and 50% with a relative risk of mental disorder associated with intellectual disability ranging from 2.8–4.5. The risks for this comorbidity associated with age, gender, severity of intellectual disability, and socioeconomic status remain uncertain.Conclusions Appreciation of this comorbidity needs to be a fundamental component of both mental health and intellectual disability services.

KW - intellectual disability

KW - mental disorder

KW - psychopathology

KW - prevalence

KW - children

KW - adolescents

U2 - 10.1080/13668250.2011.572548

DO - 10.1080/13668250.2011.572548

M3 - Journal article

VL - 36

SP - 137

EP - 143

JO - Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability

JF - Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability

SN - 1366-8250

IS - 2

ER -