The Mental Health of People with Intellectual Disabilities who Offend

Abstract

There are a growing number of studies concerning people with intellectually disabilities (ID) who offend, however few studies systematically record prevalence of mental health problems. This article will attempt to determine the prevalence mental health problems in people with ID who offend. Search terms were entered into the CINAHL, EM-BASE, Ovid MEDLINE(R) and PsycINFO databases. Studies were also selected through discussion with clinicians and references from relevant papers. Fourteen relevant articles were found that indicated the prevalence of mental health problems in people with an ID who offend. Mental health problems may be more prevalent in individuals with an ID who offend than those with an ID who do not offend with schizophrenia/psychotic difficulties occurring more frequently. The possible increased prevalence should be considered within treatment regimes in order to effectively rehabilitate individuals .