Intellectual Disability Psychiatry is a comprehensive and accessible guide to the management of mental health problems in people with intellectual disabilities. A clear and user-friendly handbook, it will help busy healthcare professionals develop their understanding of the mental health problems of service users with intellectual disabilities. Most importantly, it will help them make an accurate diagnostic assessment and develop and implement an holistic, person-centred, evidence-based management plan. Topics covered include the classification of mental disorders in intellectual disability, the clinical assessment of specific disorders, psychological, psychopharmacological and social interventions, and the practical, legal, and social aspects of supporting service users with intellectual disability who have mental health problems.

Patients with intellectual disability (ID) can benefit from the full range of mental health services. To ensure that psychiatric assessment, diagnosis and treatment interventions are relevant and effective; individuals with ID should be evaluated and treated within the context of their developmental framework. Behavior should be viewed as a form of communication. Individuals with ID often present with behavioral symptoms complicated by limited expressive language skills and undiagnosed medical conditions. Many training programs do not include focused study of individuals with ID, despite the fact that patients with ID will be seen by virtually every mental health practitioner. In this book, the authors present a framework for competent assessment and treatment of psychiatric disorders in individuals with ID. Psychiatry of Intellectual Disability is a resource guide for psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, and other prescribers treating patients with ID. It is a supplemental text for psychiatry residents, medical students, psychology graduate students, psychotherapists, counselors, social workers, behavior support specialists and nurses. To assist the practicing clinician the book includes: Clinical vignettes Clinical pearls Charts for quick reference Issues concerning medications and poly-pharmacy Altered diagnostic criteria specific for use with individuals with ID There are no evidence-based principles dedicated to psychotropic medication use in ID, but consensus guidelines address the high prevalence of poly-pharmacy. Altered diagnostic criteria have been published which accommodate less self-report and incorporate collateral information; this book reviews the literature on psychotropic medications, consensus guidelines, and population-specific diagnostic criteria sets. Psychiatry of Intellectual Disability also includes: Interviewing techniques and assessment tips for all levels of communicative ability as well as for nonverbal individuals Assessment of aggression to determine etiology and formulate a treatment plan Overview of types of psychotherapy and suggested alterations for each to increase efficacy Relevant legal issues for caregivers and treatment providers The detective work involved in mental health assessment of individuals with ID is challenging yet rewarding. The highest quality mental health treatment limits hospital days, improves quality of life and often allows individuals to live in the least restrictive environments. Psychiatry of Intellectual Disability is a must have resource for clinicians treating the ID population.

Approximately 2.5 million people in the United States--one percent of the population--have an intellectual disability (previously referred to as mental retardation). These conditions range from genetic disorders such as Down syndrome to disabilities caused by infectious diseases and brain injury. Intellectual Disability: A Guide for Families and Professionals, by one of the country's foremost authorities on intellectual disability, is a comprehensive resource that will be of importance to anyone with a personal connection to a child or adult with a neurodevelopmental disorder. Emphasizing the humanity of persons with intellectual and related developmental disabilities, psychiatrist and pediatrician James Harris provides essential information on assessment and diagnosis of intellectual disability, treatments for specific disorders, and ways to take advantage of the wide array of services available today. The focus throughout is on the development of the person, the positive supports necessary for self-determination, and, to the extent possible, independent decision making. Harris also surveys historical attitudes toward intellectual disability, the medical community's current understanding of its causes and frequency, and the associated physical, behavioral, and psychiatric conditions (such as seizure disorder, depression, and autism) that often accompany particular types of intellectual disability. The book addresses legal, medical, mental health, and research-related issues as well as matters of spirituality, highlighting the ways in which individuals with intellectual disability can meaningfully participate in the spiritual lives of their families and their communities. Each chapter ends with a series of key points to remember, and the book concludes with a list of additional resources of further interest. Intellectual Disability is a must-read for parents and families of those with neurodevelopmental disorders, providing guidance and essential information to help their family members effectively, and to make a significant, positive difference in their lives now and in the future.

This book covers a curriculum of topics for treating patients with co-occurring intellectual disabilities and mental illness, better known as dual diagnosis (DD). Though these patients represent approximately three percent of the population, they are largely underserved due to a huge gap in the literature and limited training on this topic among non-psychiatric practitioners. They are often medically fragile and have co-occurring seizure disorders and other neurologic conditions, frequently presenting to psychiatrists with behavior problems when in fact they have undiagnosed, under-diagnosed or undertreated medical conditions. A medical professional who is not trained to spot the nuanced symptoms can therefore be unprepared to work with such patients. They may misdiagnose, inappropriately prescribe medications, and fail to employ the best practices as a result. This is particularly problematic because such patients often function at significantly higher levels when accurately diagnosed and appropriately treated. Written by experts in the field, this text covers the psychiatric and medical assessment of DD patients, neurologic conditions, interviewing techniques, medications, and other topics that DD patients may present with. The book also covers a myriad of other issues surrounding DD patients that physicians often struggle with, including DD patients at the interface of the legal system, human rights concerns, tips for working with families and caregivers, and general ethical considerations. The text is specifically designed for physicians who may need quick access to information in either print or digital form. Each chapter opens with case vignettes to easily demonstrate each particular scenario and is followed up with concise, practical information. All chapters include tables that summarize the clinical pearls as well as the DSM-5 and DM-ID diagnostic criteria that is most vital to care, making this an excellent resource in both the classroom and in a treatment setting. This book offers a pathway to accurate diagnosis and treatment, leaving psychiatrists and trainees better prepared to offer the full range of mental health treatment for their dual diagnosis patients.

Disability evaluations are the most common clinical mental health evaluations conducted for nontreatment purposes. They place mental health professionals in the role of communicating information that is typically confidential to administrative and legal systems. Unfortunately, mental health professionals receive little to no training in conducting assessments that focus on disability and disability management, and often do not understand the implications and risks of providing this information, especially without conducting what are often specialized evaluations. Clinical Guide to Mental Health Disability Evaluations is geared for general mental health practitioners, providing them with the basic information needed to competently provide the various types of disability evaluations. It also provides enough information to inform forensic mental health providers in conducting more specialized evaluations.

The purpose of this book is to demystify the evaluation and management of common psychological disorders and psychosocial issues which impact all realms of medical and mental health practice. These types of issues are often seen as "medical quicksand" by treating professionals, employers, and insurers alike. Consequently, there is a system-wide avoidance of these disorders that significantly increase medical and disability costs. However, there is a considerable cost to individual and society as well in terms of the reduction in the quality of life of the individual and the high costs associated with chronic use of medical resources. It is essential to note the complexity of the psychiatric and psychosocial disability conundrum. This dilemma is not limited solely to short-term, minor problems but leach into the full spectrum of disability systems: private insurance, disability insurance, and federal programs for disabled persons. This book will provide innovative tools to confidently navigate the disability process by implementing, for the first time, true objective information coupled with the state-of-the-art evidence-based research. Thus, all individuals involved in the psychiatric disability process will be able to properly manage the process, optimize the treatment for an optimal outcome and avoid iatrogenic disability. In particular, the book will provide a clear evidence-based guidance for the evaluation and treatment process not only for individuals with obvious psychological problems, but for symptomatic individual with no discernable etiology or who simply never seem to get well.