Health gain through screening - mental health: Developing primary health care services for people with an intellectual disability

Referrals to mental health services are highly variable and depend on local factors such as availability of psychiatric and community nursing services, general practitioners' awareness of mental health problems in people with an intellectual disability, and knowledge and attitudes of professional and family carers. The study aimed to identify individuals with significant mental health problems who were not receiving services. As part of a general health screening procedure the PAS-ADD (Psychiatric Assessment Schedule for Adults with a Developmental Disability) checklist was administered to 127 adults with intellectual disability and their carers. Referrals were then made to the appropriate service. Forty-two (33%) of the individuals screened were rated to have a score above the threshold in one of the PAS-ADD's subscores. Fifty-three percent of this population were receiving active treatment from the local psychiatric service. In contrast, 44% of people below the thresholds were being treated. The difficulties encountered in targeting services are discussed.