Intensity of Support Needs in Relation to Co-occurring Psychiatric Disorders

2011

Marc J. Tasse
[email protected]
614-685-3193

There is a growing body of research on the construct of support needs in individuals with intellectual disability (ID). An increasing emphasis is being placed on measuring and understanding the needs for supports and the factors that drive the intensity of these support needs. Prior research has firmly established that individuals with ID are more susceptible to a presenting co-occurring psychiatric disorder than individuals without ID. In this paper we examined the relationship between an individual's intensity of support needs and the presence of a diagnosed DSM-IV psychiatric disorder in a sample of 272 adults with ID. We found that individuals with a psychiatric diagnosis presented greater support needs in the area of problem behavior but lower support needs in relation to medical conditions that impact physical health. There was no significant difference in the overall intensity of support needs between individuals with ID who have a diagnosed psychiatric disorder and those who do not. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Peer-reviewed publications in scholarly journals Published/In Press

Electronic (disc, CD, 508 compliant web posting)

N/A