Risk assessment tools are widely used in psychiatric hospitals and criminal justice systems to help predict violent behaviour and inform sentencing and release decisions. Yet their predictive accuracy remains uncertain and expert opinion is divided, according to a new systematic review published in the BMJ. An international team of researchers led by Seena Fazel from [read the full story…]
Estimates for the prevalence of self injurious behaviour vary from 4% to 10% as a result of case definition differences and study methodologies. However, such behaviours have a major impact of the quality of life of those involved and present challenges to family members and paid carers. There is some evidence emerging that suggests that [read the full story…]
Computerised cognitive behavioural therapy is a popular topic for research at the moment. We’ve seen a number of systematic reviews and large scale trials published over recent years, but the vast majority focus on adults with depression, so it’s hard to know how applicable the results are to adolescents. Of course, most young people are [read the full story…]
Setting clear goals that stretch but are achievable and measurable is a key skill in bringing about change. The researchers in this Australian study were interested in how parents and people with learning disabilities experienced using the Family Goal Setting Tool, which aims to support people and their families to identify targets for change. The [read the full story…]
As you know, we are committed here at the Learning Disabilities Elf to bringing you the evidence, what works, what doesn’t and to set it all in some context. We also though like to draw attention to resources and sources of help and advice around important issues. We have posted before about the findings of [read the full story…]
People with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) often struggle to interact socially in the same way as everyone else. Recognising emotions and communicating can be very difficult for them. One approach that has grown in popularity is social skills groups, which aim to improve social competence, communication skills and quality of life for people with ASD. [read the full story…]
A US review in 2009 suggested that the evidence on the rates of sex offending by people with learning disabilities was equivocal at best with some studies reporting an increased likelihood of people with learning disabilities committing sexual offences, with others suggesting the opposite to be the case. There are difficulties in answering the question [read the full story…]
The need to use patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) is increasingly recognised. Patients satisfaction and oral health-related quality of life are two such measure . The main aim of this study was to evaluate the level of association between patients’ denture satisfaction and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in edentate patients, and to identify [read the full story…]
People with learning disabilities are more likely to have tooth decay, loose teeth, have gum disease, show higher levels of untreated disease and also have a larger number of extractions than those without disabilities, although evidence does exist to suggest that well-performed preventive procedures can prevent progression of dental disease and reduce tooth loss. The [read the full story…]
Forty years ago, autism was regularly referred to as childhood schizophrenia and the links between the two conditions have continued to this day. Recent studies have shown that the features of autism spectrum disorders sometimes precede the onset of childhood-onset schizophrenia. This cohort study published by researchers from Cardiff University looks at the relationship between [read the full story…]
