Most patients, however, are treated empirically with antipsychotic medications. 2 Several studies suggest that patients who are mentally retarded are overmedicated with antipsychotics, resulting in sedation, social withdrawal, and loss of cognitive function. 3 Newer antipsychotics have a lower incidence of akathisia and tardive dyskinesia but can predispose patients to obesity and metabolic syndrome.
Full Answer
Are there treatment options for people with physical and mental health disabilities?
Treatment options do exist for people with mental and physical disabilities; however, not all treatment centers are able to provide the treatment options, responses to concerns, or specific programs needed for people who have physical and mental health disabilities and who are also in need of treatment for addiction.
What can I do if I have a mental illness?
Know where and how to get mental health treatment and other support services and resources, including counseling or therapy (in person or through telehealth services). Take care of your emotional health. Taking care of your emotional health will help you think clearly and react to urgent needs to protect yourself and your family.
How can I help a disabled person with behavioral problems?
Various therapeutic services can improve a person's adaptive behavioral skills. These therapies are helpful for many people with intellectual disabilities (ID, formerly mental retardation). Self-care (e.g., grooming, dressing, feeding, bathing); Domestic activities (e.g., cooking, cleaning, laundry).
What is the best therapy for people with intellectual disabilities?
Various therapeutic services can improve a person's adaptive behavioral skills. These therapies are helpful for many people with intellectual disabilities (ID, formerly mental retardation). Occupational therapy. Meaningful and purposeful activities; Self-care (e.g., grooming, dressing, feeding, bathing);
How do you help someone who is mentally challenged?
SPEAK DIRECTLY. Use clear simple communications. ... OFFER TO SHAKE HANDS WHEN INTRODUCED. ... MAKE EYE CONTACT AND BE AWARE OF BODY LANGUAGE. ... LISTEN ATTENTIVELY. ... TREAT ADULTS AS ADULTS. ... DO NOT GIVE UNSOLICITED ADVICE OR ASSISTANCE. ... DO NOT BLAME THE PERSON. ... QUESTIONS THE ACCURACY OF THE MEDIA STEREOTYPES OF MENTAL ILLNESS.More items...
How do you care for someone with an intellectual disability?
10 Tips for Working With People With Intellectual DisabilitiesDo not call them kids. ... Use clear, simplified language and try speaking slower, not louder. ... Set expectations. ... Treat them as you would your peers. ... Draw boundaries. ... Ask them their thoughts and allow them to answer.More items...
What is the life expectancy of a mentally handicapped person?
Results. Kaplan-Meier survival plots showed a strong negative association between severity of intellectual disability and survival, with median life expectancies of 74.0, 67.6, and 58.6 years for people with mild, moderate, and severe lev- els of handicap.
How do you deal with adults with disabilities?
Communicating with Adults with Special NeedsSpeak Clearly and Directly. Speaking clearly and directly is a great way to enter into any conversation with another individual. ... Make Eye Contact. ... Listen Attentively. ... Don't Make Decisions For Them. ... Don't Make Assumptions. ... Volunteer Your Time and Effort.
What does intellectual disability look like in adults?
An intellectual disability affects someone's intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior, sometimes requiring some form of supportive care. Some examples of this type of disability include difficulties using social judgment, slow learning development, and speech difficulties.
What difficulties does a person with an intellectual disability encounter?
Impact of intellectual disabilitydifficulty understanding new information.difficulties with communication and social skills.slow cognitive processing time.difficulty in the sequential processing of information.difficulties comprehending abstract concepts.
Does mental retardation get worse with age?
Like the general population after age 50, people with mental retardation, who do not have Down syndrome, experience a gradual decline in overall intellectual capacity, a decrease in their speed of recall, and slower general cognitive functioning.
Can someone with an intellectual disability live a normal life?
Intellectual disability is thought to affect about 1% of the population. Of those affected, 85% have mild intellectual disability. This means they are just a little slower than average to learn new information or skills. With the right support, most will be able to live independently as adults.
Can you live a normal life with an intellectual disability?
Intellectual disability is a life-long condition. However, early and ongoing intervention may improve functioning and enable the person to thrive throughout their lifetime. Underlying medical or genetic conditions and co-occurring conditions frequently add to the complex lives of people with intellectual disability.
How does an intellectual disability affect a person's life?
Intellectual disability (or ID) is a term used when a person has certain limitations in cognitive functioning and skills, including communication, social and self-care skills. These limitations can cause a child to develop and learn more slowly or differently than a typically developing child.
How can intellectual disability be improved?
Practice social and communication skills. Recognize that parents and caregivers can help improve the functioning of someone with intellectual disability. Be as clear as possible, using demonstrations such as a picture or hands-on materials rather than verbal directions. Break longer and new tasks into simpler steps.
What does a disabled person do all day?
ADLs include things like shopping, cooking, getting around (either by public transportation or by driving yourself), cooking, paying bills, being able to take care of your personal hygiene, and so on.
How often do people with disabilities have mental health issues?
The Mental Health of People with Disabilities. Adults with disabilities report experiencing frequent mental distress almost 5 times as often as adults without disabilities. Call your doctor if your mental health gets in the way of your daily activities for at least 14 days in a month. . In the United States, 1 in 4 adults—61 million—have ...
How many people with disabilities experience mental distress?
A recent study found that adults with disabilities report experiencing more mental distress than those without disabilities. 2 In 2018, an estimated 17.4 million (32.9%) adults with disabilities experienced frequent mental distress, defined as 14 or more reported mentally unhealthy days in the past 30 days. Frequent mental distress is associated with poor health behaviors, increased use of health services, mental disorders, chronic disease, and limitations in daily life. 2
What is NCHPAD?
The National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD) external icon. seeks to help people with disabilities and other chronic health conditions achieve health benefits through increased participation in all types of physical and social activities. NCHPAD’s M.E.N.T.O.R program.
What is the CDC?
CDC provides funding for two National Centers on Disability that focus on improving the quality of life for people living with disabilities. Special Olympics’ Inclusive Health. external icon.
How to take care of your emotional health?
Taking care of your emotional health will help you think clearly and react to urgent needs to protect yourself and your family. Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories, including those on social media. Hearing about the pandemic repeatedly can be upsetting. Take care of your body .
What is frequent mental distress?
Frequent mental distress is associated with poor health behaviors, increased use of health services, mental disorders, chronic disease, and limitations in daily life. 2. During the COVID-19 pandemic, isolation, disconnect, disrupted routines, and diminished health services have greatly impacted the lives and mental well-being ...
What is the CDC's International Day of Persons with Disabilities?
As CDC honors International Day of Persons with Disabilities, we ask that you join us in being a part of the global movement to change attitudes toward, and promote the inclusion of, people with disabilities.
What is therapeutic therapy for intellectual disabilities?
Therapies for Intellectual Disabilities and Outdated/Unproven Treatments. Various therapeutic services can improve a person's adaptive behavioral skills. These therapies are helpful for many people with intellectual disabilities (ID, formerly mental retardation).
What is talk therapy?
Talk therapy: Talk therapy refers to psychotherapy. Psychotherapy is useful for many psychiatric disorders. However, psychotherapy cannot treat, arrest, or cure disabilities. Some types of psychotherapy may be a helpful adjunct for some people with mild ID, and who have psychiatric disorder such as depression.
What is the use of nootropic drugs?
Nonetheless, the use of "nootropic" medicines (i.e., 'smart drugs') to improve people's learning abilities is a growing area of interest. At this time, there is insufficient evidence to suggest that nootropic drugs facilitate learning in persons with IDs. Talk therapy: Talk therapy refers to psychotherapy.
Can people with ID use psychotherapy?
Nonetheless, psychotherapies have not proven effective for people with ID. Such therapies rely on a person's cognitive, emotional, and verbal abilities in order to promote change. Therefore, people with ID are not good candidates for such therapies.
Is there a treatment for disability?
As we have emphasized, there is no 'treatment' for a disability. At best, some medical treatments are effective at reducing the symptoms of the conditions causing the disability. Nonetheless, unsubstantiated claims are made about alternative treatments. There are no reliable research studies to support claims of effectiveness.
Can orthomolecular therapy reverse IDs?
Orthomolecular therapy claims vitamins and minerals can treat (reverse) a number of different conditions including IDs. Proponents of orthomolecular therapy contend that cognitive disorders can be improved by 'molecular balance' via nutritional supplements.
What is intellectual disability?
Intellectual disability (ID) is the term used to define a developmental disorder characterized by both intellectual and adaptive functioning deficits. This term has replaced “mental retardation” in DSM-5, which was spearheaded by the renaming of organizations such as the President’s Committee for People With Intellectual Disabilities in 2003 ...
What is the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in individuals with ID?
The prevalence of psychiatric disorders in individuals with ID is estimated to be between 32% and 40% ( Table 1 ). 2 Psychiatric disorders are more easily diagnosed in patients with mild to moderate ID than in those with severe ID.
What is the first step in the management of a patient with ID?
Correctly identifying the cause of behavioral problems and addressing medical problems is the first step in the management of patients with ID. Once an accurate diagnosis of comorbid psychiatric problems has been made, a multimodal approach to treatment is used. Initially, a behavioral analysis is done and behavior modification techniques suitable to each patient are implemented alone or in combination with pharmacotherapy. Interventions include massage therapy, water and music therapy, sign and picture communication training, and volunteering.
What are atypical presentations in ID?
Atypical presentations for psychiatric conditions in the ID population are common. Psychiatric symptoms may manifest as agitation, aggression, withdrawal, changes in sleep or appetite, and self-talk that is distinct in content.
What are the challenges of diagnosing ID?
Challenges in correct diagnoses. Clearly, individuals with ID have high rates of psychiatric comorbidities. However, diagnostic difficulties due to atypical presentations, diagnostic limitations secondary to communication barriers, and lack of formal diagnostic tools are inherent in this population.
What are the modifications of the home environment?
In addition, modifications of the home environment can be implemented, including reducing overstimulation and noise, providing activities and opportunities to engage with others, teaching relatives and caregivers techniques for improving communication, and providing assistance to families .
Is psychiatric disorder more severe in ID?
The prevalence of psychiatric disorders is higher in patients with ID. And psychiatric disorders in this population are typically more severe and more difficult to diagnose than in the general population; the degree of disability varies greatly. In the past 25 years, care has shifted from state hospitals to the community setting, ...
What is the best treatment for a physical disability?
Physical therapy and exercise: Many facilities incorporate exercise programs as part of treatment; exercise provides motivation and can help a person to manage cravings and triggering emotions. For those with physical disabilities, however, exercise may be limited or may not be an option.
What are the barriers to treatment for people with disabilities?
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) demonstrates that while both people with and without disabilities often experience barriers to treatment, such as not being able to afford it, those with disabilities have additional barriers that can make it difficult to get treatment even if they have the money and the desire to get help. Finding facilities that are fully accessible for those with physical disabilities, or that provide the additional support needed for those with physical or mental disabilities, can be difficult.
How many people with disabilities have a substance use disorder?
Approximately 4.7 million people with disabilities have a co-occurring substance use disorder. This population is particularly in need of drug abuse and addiction treatment services that can meet their needs.
What percentage of people with traumatic brain injury abuse drugs?
More than 50 percent of people with traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, and mental illness abuse drugs or alcohol. People with disabilities like deafness, arthritis, and multiple sclerosis have substance abuse rates that are double those of the general population.
Why is vocational rehab important?
Integrating vocational rehab into addiction treatment can provide motivation and meaning to the treatment process, which increases the chances of a positive outcome.
What are the concerns surrounding physical disability?
For people with physical disabilities, like spinal cord injury, amputation, or arthritis, as well as for those with sensory disabilities like blindness and deafness, the main concerns surrounding treatment involve accessibility.
Do mental disabilities require concessions?
Those with mental disabilities require concessions to accessibility of a different kind. For this segment of the population, the issue often involves not being able to take in or process the information provided as easily, resulting in the person becoming discouraged and giving up on treatment.
