Treatment of Severe Behavioral Problems in Adults with Intellectual Disabilities

Abstract

A significant number of individuals with intellectual disabilities also display serious behavioral problems. These behaviors can be both severely intense and very frequent, and thus require some sort of intervention. We believe that improving the care and medical treatment for this population is essential. As it stands, there is a great disparity in care between these individuals and the general population, and for the following reasons: (1) Limited access to services, (2) Poor quality of care, (3) Lack of professional knowledge in the area of mental disabilities. This article will briefly review the initial results obtained in the care of 420 adult patients with intellectual disabilities and psychiatric comorbidities who were treated in a psychiatric unit specialized in the treatment of this particular population.