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The NHS is failing people with learning disabilities
March 14, 2008Illness in people with intellectual disabilities is common, underdiagnosed and poorly managed
The NHS is failing people with learning difficulties, according to an editorial published in the BMJ today.
The authors say the health needs of this group of patients often go unmet because mental or physical illness is incorrectly attributed to the person's intellectual disability.
According to the authors, doctors are less likely to diagnose psychiatric problems among this group of people, even though in reality they are more likely to suffer from mental illness. They are also more likely to develop chronic disorders such as epilepsy or cerebral palsy.
They point to two significant reports from the Disability Rights Commission (DRC) and MENCAP which both highlighted widespread inequalities encountered by people with learning disabilities and/or mental illness.
They say these reports raise issues about the low priority given to the health needs of this group, the lack of appropriate training given to medical staff, the disregard for the views of carers and the misconceptions among many doctors about the value of the lives of people with learning disabilities.
Hope for improvements in treatment lies with the recently implemented Mental Capacity Act. They argue it should improve the care of vulnerable patients as it sets out a process for ensuring that medical decisions are no longer made in isolation and are made in the 'best interests' of the patient.
They call for improved communication and liaison between GPs, hospital doctors and intellectual disability services, and joint working between the medical bodies. They conclude:
"This may help to reduce morbidity and mortality and improve quality of life."
BMJ-British Medical Journal
According to the authors, doctors are less likely to diagnose psychiatric problems among this group of people, even though in reality they are more likely to suffer from mental illness. They are also more likely to develop chronic disorders such as epilepsy or cerebral palsy.
They point to two significant reports from the Disability Rights Commission (DRC) and MENCAP which both highlighted widespread inequalities encountered by people with learning disabilities and/or mental illness.
They say these reports raise issues about the low priority given to the health needs of this group, the lack of appropriate training given to medical staff, the disregard for the views of carers and the misconceptions among many doctors about the value of the lives of people with learning disabilities.
Hope for improvements in treatment lies with the recently implemented Mental Capacity Act. They argue it should improve the care of vulnerable patients as it sets out a process for ensuring that medical decisions are no longer made in isolation and are made in the 'best interests' of the patient.
They call for improved communication and liaison between GPs, hospital doctors and intellectual disability services, and joint working between the medical bodies. They conclude:
"This may help to reduce morbidity and mortality and improve quality of life."
BMJ-British Medical Journal
Learning Disabilities Current Events and Learning Disabilities News RSSClinical tests begin on medication to correct Fragile X defect
NIH-supported scientists at Seaside Therapeutics in Cambridge, Mass., are beginning a clinical trial of a potential medication designed to correct a central neurochemical defect underlying Fragile X syndrome, the most common inherited cause of intellectual disability.
Global death toll: 1 million premature babies every year
More than one million infants die each year because they are born too early, according to the just released White Paper, The Global and Regional Toll of Preterm Birth.
What makes an accent in a foreign language lighter
The more empathy one has for another, the lighter the accent will be when speaking in a second language. This is the conclusion of a new study carried out at the University of Haifa by Dr. Raphiq Ibrahim and Dr. Mark Leikin of the Department of Learning Disabilities and Prof. Zohar Eviatar of the Department of Psychology at the University of Haifa.
Genetic risk, not anesthesia exposure, impacts cognitive performance
A recent study of more than 2,000 identical twins found that medical problems early in life, rather than the neurotoxic effects of anesthesia, are likely linked to an individual's risk for developing learning disabilities.
Mayo researchers find anesthesia not harmful for babies during birth process
Mayo Clinic researchers have found that children exposed to anesthesia during Cesarean section are not at any higher risk for learning disabilities later in life than children not delivered by C-section.
Do bilingual persons have distinct language areas in the brain?
A new study carried out at the University of Haifa sheds light on how first and second languages are represented in the brain of a bilingual person.
Findings in epilepsy gene in animals may guide treatment directions for infants
Researchers studying a difficult-to-treat form of childhood epilepsy called infantile spasms have developed a line of mice that experiences seizures with features closely resembling those occurring in patients with infantile seizures.
Special protein helps maintain an efficient brain
The instruction manual for maintaining an efficient brain may soon include a section on synaptotagmin-IV (Syt-IV), a protein known to influence learning and memory, thanks to a study by University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers.
Hypertensive kids more likely to have learning/attention problems
Children who have high blood pressure are more likely to have learning disabilities and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) than children who are not hypertensive.
Mayo researchers find link between anesthesia exposure and learning disabilities in children
Mayo Clinic researchers have found that children who require multiple surgeries under anesthesia during their first three years of life are at higher risk of developing learning disabilities later.
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