The interface between medical and psychiatric disorders in people with intellectual disabilities

doi:10.1017/CBO9780511543616.006

5 - The interface between medical and psychiatric disorders in people with intellectual disabilities

from Part I - Assessment and diagnosis

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 December 2009

Nick Lennox

Edited by

Nick Bouras and

Geraldine Holt

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Nick Lennox: Affiliation:
Associate Professor, Queensland Centre for Intellectual & Developmental Disability School of Population Health The University of Queensland
Nick Bouras: Affiliation:
King's College London
Geraldine Holt: Affiliation:
King's College London

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Summary

Introduction

This chapter will discuss the interface between medical and psychiatric disorders in people with intellectual disabilities (ID). The Oxford Modern Australian Dictionary, 1998, defines interface as ‘a place where interaction occurs between two processes’. To fully understand this interaction we will need a broad framework that accounts for the underlying influences on the clinical presentation of medical and psychiatric conditions. A proposed framework, which can assist in understanding the individual and the nature of the influences on health, will be presented and discussed. Then the evidence for the poor health status of people with ID will be presented along with reasons why this situation may currently exist. The high levels of morbidity and psychosocial neglect experienced by this population highlight the importance of this interface. Finally, commonly encountered conditions, and an approach to their clinical features, are discussed.

Conceptual framework

A conceptual framework is helpful in describing the complex interaction between psychiatric and physical disorders. This framework may also be useful for the broader conceptualization of the constructs and also during the consultative process.

The framework in Table 5.1, adapted from Professor Tony Holland's model (personal communication), and extended to incorporate more recent findings and trends, is a simple four-by-four table. According to this model, each dimension along the x-axis, from biological to spiritual, can contribute to our understanding of an individual's current presentation. These dimensions can have varying degrees of influence on the person's health and well-being.

Type: Chapter
Information: Psychiatric and Behavioural Disorders in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities , pp. 76 - 90

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511543616.006 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2007

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