The Psychiatric Care of People with Intellectual Disabilities: The Perceptions of Trainee Psychiatrists and Psychiatric Medical Officers

Objective: The main aim of this study was to document the perceptions of trainee psychiatrists and psychiatric medical officers regarding the psychiatric care of people with intellectual disabilities. Method: A 28-item self-administered questionnaire was developed by the investigators and pretested on eight psychiatrists and psychiatric trainees. A revised version of the questionnaire was then sent to 128 psychiatric trainees and 27 medical officers working in the public psychiatric services in Victoria. 116 questionnaires were returned, and the responses analysed. Results: The results indicate a high degree of interest in the psychiatry of intellectual disability, however this was tempered by a feeling that the respondents and their senior colleagues are inadequately trained. The respondents expressed major concerns regarding the care of people with dual disabilities in the hospital and community setting, and significant support for the development of specialised units and subspecialisation within psychiatry. The major concerns which were identified would in part explain why 30% of the respondents felt that they would prefer not to treat people with an intellectual disability and a psychiatric disorder. Conclusion: We can only support the assertion made by the Burdekin Report [12] that “there is an urgent need for academic research, increased clinical expertise and substantial increased resources in the much neglected area of dual disability.”