Estimates of the numbers of people with learning disabilities who also have a co-morbid psychiatric disorder vary considerably between studies, from 14 to 39%. This review set out to look at the knowledge, attitudes and training of professionals supporting people with both learning disability and psychoatric disorder, termed in this study, dual diagnosis. The authors [read the full story…]
Recent genetic studies have shown there may be shared genetics in some neuropsychiatric disorders. The researchers in this Australian study were interested to look at risks of learning disability and other neuropsychiatric outcomes in 3174 children born to mothers with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or unipolar major depression. They compared this risk with a control group [read the full story…]
Normally here at WELD, we are in the business of reporting research findings and drawing attention to the evidence. However, two new research projects caught our eye this week as they are to do with subjects we have previously posted about. Both projects are looking for people to get in touch with their experiences, so [read the full story…]
The evidence on the relationship between sexual abuse in childhood of adult sex offenders is mixed, with some studies showing higher rates of childhood sexual abuse in sex offenders and others showing no such relationship exists. The researchers in this study looked at the sexual and physical abuse histories of a number of adults with [read the full story…]
Goffman’s seminal work identified social stigma as severe disapproval of a person on the grounds of characteristics they have that tend to distinguish them from other members of the society in which they live. The researchers in this study were interested in the perception of stigma in 43 adults with learning disabilities and the nature [read the full story…]
Studies have suggested that people with learning disabilities have poorer oral health than those in the general population, and often have untreated caries and high prevalence of gingivitis and other periodontal diseases. The researchers in this study were interested in the oral health status and behaviour of people with learning disabilities who were employed as [read the full story…]
Mental Health courts were established in the USA in the 1990s, and were designed to help offenders with a mental health diagnosis who might end up in prison to have access to long-term community-based treatment. Mental health courts were piloted in England in 2009 to ensure that a defendant’s mental health or learning disability was [read the full story…]
Previous studies trying to reach an understanding of the rate of co-morbid psychiatric problems in children with autism spectrum disorders have reported significantly varying findings. The authors of this matched control study wanted to look at patterns of co-morbid psychiatric problems in such and their parents compared a group of controls matched for IQ, and [read the full story…]
Inclusion is at the heart of national policy relating to the support of people with learning disabilities, but there is little research available into the attitudes of the general public to people with learning disabilities. The researchers in this study were interested in particular in the how young people from White British and South Asian [read the full story…]
Applied behaviour analysis (ABA) is a way of helping people to change their behaviour by focusing on the observable relationship between behaviour to the environment. ABA has led to a range of specific procedures that have enabled analysts to develop tailored intervention programmes based on functional analysis, specifically designed for individuals in their environments. This [read the full story…]
