People with Down syndrome experience higher incidence of depression than other people with learning disabilities according to findings of systematic review

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People with learning disabilities have an increased risk of experiencing mental health problems but we need to understand more about the prevalence and presentation of these issues to help clinicians offering appropriate and effective treatments.

Here Angela Henderson looks at a systematic review of the literature on uni-polar depression in people with Down syndrome.

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Frailty predicting care intensity in older people with learning disabilities?

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In this blog, Rose Tomlins considers a study which explores the use of the Frailty Index to predict increased intensity of care for older adults with learning disabilities.

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How “Big Society” is experienced in the lives of people with learning disabilities: Austerity, broken promises and cruel optimism

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Big Society? Disabled people with learning disabilities and civil society is a project funded by the Economic and Social research council (June, 2013 – September, 2015).

The project is a collaboration between universities and organisations of and for people with learning disabilities, further details can be found at: www.bigsocietydis.wordpress.com

Here, just as the project shares its findings at a national conference, Katherine Runswick Cole sets the scene and Silvana Mengoni posts about one of the published papers from the project.

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Factors which impact on the social networks of people with profound intellectual disabilities

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In this blog, Sian Anderson looks at a study that seeks to discover the factors, which can most positively impact on the development and maintenance of the informal social networks of people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities.

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Seclusion and restraint in disability services influenced by both individual and organisational factors

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Seclusion, whilst still in use in disability services can be considered at odds with the person-centred values underpinning modern services

Here, Alex Leeder looks at a review of its use in Victoria, Australia, to try to find what factors are associated with its ongoing use.

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Why does area deprivation affect people with learning disabilities and mental ill-health more than people without learning disabilities?

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Mental health problems are common in the population of people with learning disabilities. Previous research has also found a strong association between social deprivation and mental health problems.

Here, Leen Vereenooghe looks at a study, which sets out to look at what impact living in deprived areas might have on people with learning disabilities accessing community psychiatric services.

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Readmission to hospital for people with learning disabilities. A study in one acute hospital in England

Restraint is used widely in inpatient mental health settings both in the UK and internationally, but is linked with multiple adverse outcomes.

We know that people with learning disabilities have poorer health than those without learning disabilities and may also receive poorer quality healthcare. Emergency or unplanned readmissions may be one indicator of the quality of care.

Here, Pauline Heslop considers a study which looked at such readmissions for people with learning disabilities and those without to see how they compared and how far such readmissions may have been preventable.

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Care pathway approach in a learning disability inpatient service

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Learning disability in-patient services have come under some scrutiny in recent times.

Here, Tom Crossland looks at an evaluation of the introduction of a care pathway approach in an inpatient service

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Moving on from home for adults with learning disabilities: families’ experiences

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What are the experiences of families who are supporting their adult sons and daughters with learning disabilities to move on to their own homes?

Here, Mandy Johnson looks at a study, which sets out to answer that question.

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