Comparison of adults with intellectual disabilities and mental health problems admitted to specialist and generic inpatient units

Autor: Helen Costello, Geraldine Holt, F. Eoster, Jane McCarthy, R. Hammond, Colin Hemmings, Jean O'Hara, Nick Bouras, Kiriakos Xenitidis
Rok vydání: 2009
Předmět:
Zdroj: British Journal of Learning Disabilities. 37:123-128
ISSN: 1468-3156
1354-4187
Popis: Accessible summary • This research was about people with learning disabilities who went into hospital when they had mental health problems. • We looked at when they went into ordinary mental health units and also into a special unit for people who also have learning disabilities. • We looked at what their mental health problems were and how long they stayed for. We looked at what types of places they were living in before they went to hospital and where they went to live afterwards. We found some differences in what happened to the people depending on where they stayed. • This research will help to find out where people with learning disabilities who also have mental health problems should be treated if they need to go to hospital. Summary This study aimed to compare the characteristics of service users with intellectual disabilities and mental health problems admitted to either a specialist or a generic inpatient unit in an area of South London. Socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of consecutive admissions over a 5.5-year period were recorded using a questionnaire. Key differences in psychiatric diagnosis, residence type and discharge destination were found between individuals using generic and specialist provision. Length of stay was significantly longer for specialist unit admissions. Admissions to the specialist unit were significantly more likely to reside with family prior to admission and admissions to generic units were significantly more likely to come from ‘other’ forms of residence such as hostels, prison and ‘no fixed abode’. At discharge the proportion of those admitted to the specialist unit who resided with their families reduced. At the same time the proportion of those living in supported accommodation increased although compared with those admitted to generic units they were still significantly more likely to return to the family home. Significantly, more adults admitted to generic units were diagnosed with an affective disorder. Specialist inpatient provision may be crucial in helping mainstream services meet the needs of individuals with intellectual disabilities and mental health problems.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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