Primary care health checks, screenings and GP consultations are often the gateway for people with intellectual disabilities to access their physical and mental healthcare. For a population who experience greater levels of health difficulties alongside significant health inequality, improving care quality and access is of major importance. This…

This study investigates associations between initial levels and change in the quality of the relationships youth with intellectual disabilities (ID) share with their parents and teachers, and changes in their levels of depression over time. A sample of 395 youth with mild (48.3%) and moderate (51.7%) ID, aged between 11 and 22 (M = 15.69), were…

Background: People with intellectual disabilities have equal rights to explore their sexuality and access sexual and reproductive healthcare, yet little is known about their needs and wants when accessing health education. The current study sought to learn about the sexual health interests, attitudes, and educational needs of Special Olympics (SO)…

Background: This study evaluated the Step-by-Step Parenting Program (SBSPP) to prepare expectant parents with intellectual disabilities to care for their newborns. Method: Two expectant parents with intellectual disabilities were seen once or twice weekly in their homes for about 2 h over 16 and 20 weeks (21 and 27 sessions), respectively. The key…

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on the mental health of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Numerous pandemic-related stressors experienced by people with intellectual and developmental disabilities may have impacted their ability to thrive, which has been linked to mental health outcomes. The…

Background: A limited number of studies have explored religion's role in the intimate lives of adults with intellectual disabilities. This paper illustrates how religion, both of disabled people and those around them (e.g., family members, support workers), can shape the attitudes and experiences of disabled people toward sexuality. Method: This…

Background: Individuals with dementia have communication limitations resulting from cognitive impairments that define the syndrome. Whereas there are numerous cognitive assessments for individuals with dementia, there are far fewer communication assessments. The Profiling Communication Ability in Dementia (P-CAD) was developed to address this gap.…

Background: For families with adolescent children, the transition to adulthood is usually challenging. This period may be extra demanding for families with a child with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities due to the child's strong and persistent support needs. To support these families during this phase and to facilitate the transition…

Background: Although the Canadian Consensus Guidelines for Primary Care of Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities recommends conducting periodic health checks in primary care, uptake is lacking. This study seeks to understand factors influencing the conduct of periodic health checks and identify what needs to change to increase…

Introduction: As little is known about who uses specialty mental health clinics for persons with intellectual disabilities, this study aimed to identified caregiver concerns, clinical characteristics, and the relationship between these two constructs for referrals to such a clinic. Methods: Qualitative and quantitative analyses were applied to…

Introduction: Adults with intellectual disabilities have an increased vulnerability to mental health problems and challenging behaviour. In addition to psychotherapeutic or psychoeducational methods, off-label pharmacotherapy, is a commonly used treatment modality. Objective: The aim of this study was to establish evidence-based guideline…

Background: The current literature has established that prejudice in child protection cases with parents with intellectual disabilities continues to persist. However, complexities of these cases are not well-understood from the perspective of child protection workers. This study aimed to identify the needs of child protection workers and their…

Background: Workers in the intellectual disability sector encounter significant work-related stress impacting their mental health. This study explores the barriers faced by these workers when accessing mental health support during the pandemic. Methods: 1831 surveys were completed by intellectual disability support workers from Ontario, Canada…

Background: Direct support professionals (DSP) are instrumental in supporting the health care of individuals with intellectual disabilities, yet receive little training and support for this role. We implemented a capacity building intervention for DSPs in a community agency in Ontario, Canada. This study evaluated the perceived value and…

Background: Canadian 24-h movement guidelines recommend that adults achieve 150 min per week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), 7-9 h of sleep per night and spend no more than 8-h per day sedentary to optimise health and wellbeing. Method: Using a cross-sectional survey of 131 family caregivers of adults with intellectual and…