Depression can be difficult to spot in people with learning disabilities. The Royal College of Psychiatrists in its information leaflet points out that for many people with learning disabilities expressing their feelings in words may not come easily, so their actions may speak for them. They suggest that sudden changes in behaviour or mood, or loss of abilities could be signs of depression.

In this study, the authors looked at the nature of the developmental risk factors associated with depression found in typically developing adolescents and how they may interact with the life experiences of adolescents with learning disabilities and influence their vulnerability to depression.

They suggest that the evidence on lifestyle in adolescents with learning disabilities shows that they typically experience a greater level of depression than those without learning disabilities and that developmental risk factors predictive of depression in adolescents without learning disabilities are more likely to be present for adolescents with learning disabilities because of their specific social experiences. They describe these as experience of social stigma attached to learning disability, increased exposure to negative life-events, social and emotion recognition deficits and increased rates of parental stress.

They conclude that considering these developmental factors and their interaction with the person’s social environment should offer a the potential for a framework for prevention and early intervention.

Vulnerability to depression in adolescents with intellectual disabilities (PDF), Kiddle H & Dagnan D, in Advances in Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities, 5, 1, 3-8.