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Background: Adolescents with intellectual disability (ID) (ID-adolescents) and adolescents with chronic diseases are both more likely to have emotional and behavioural problems. The aim of this study was to assess the association between chronic diseases in ID-adolescents and emotional and behavioural problems in a large school-based sample., Methods: We obtained data on 1044 ID-adolescents, aged 12-18 years, attending secondary schools in the Netherlands. Parents of the adolescents completed the Dutch version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and questions about chronic diseases in their child and about the background of the child., Results: Prevalence rates of emotional and behavioural problems were generally high in ID-adolescents with chronic diseases (45%), compared with ID-adolescents without chronic diseases (17%). The likelihood of emotional and behavioural problems was high in ID-adolescents with two [odds ratios (OR) 4.47; 95% CI: 2.97-6.74] or more than two chronic diseases (OR 8.01; 95% CI: 5.18-12.39) and for ID-adolescents with mental chronic diseases (OR 4.56; 95% CI: 3.21-6.47). Also ID-adolescents with somatic chronic diseases had a high likelihood of emotional and behavioural problems (OR 1.99; 95% CI: 1.33-2.99), in particular in the combination of somatic and mental chronic diseases (OR 5.16; 95% CI: 3.46-7.71)., Conclusions: The current study showed that chronic diseases in ID-adolescents, in particular mental chronic diseases, largely increase the likelihood of emotional and behavioural problems. This should be taken in the provision and planning of care for ID-adolescents.

Background: The assessment of mental health problems in children with intellectual disability (ID) mostly occurs by filling out long questionnaires that are not always validated for children without ID. The aim of this study is to assess the differences in mental health problems between children with ID and without ID, using a short questionnaire, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)., Methods: We studied 260 children (6-12 years) selected from special education schools for trainable children (response: 57%). Parents completed the extended Dutch version of the SDQ, questions on background characteristics and on the care provided. A non-ID control group of 707 children (response: 87%) was included to compare mental health problems., Results: In total, 60.9% of children with ID had an elevated score on the SDQ, compared with 9.8% of children without ID. Only 45% of the children with ID and an elevated SDQ score had visited a healthcare professional for these problems in the last 6 months., Discussion: The SDQ or an adapted version could contribute to the early identification of mental health problems in children with ID. Further research is needed to confirm the validity of the SDQ when used in a sample of children with ID.

Background: The transition of people with intellectual disability (ID) from care institutions to the community - according to Western policy - results in a shift of responsibility towards primary health care services. In order to provide optimal care to people with ID living in the community, general practitioners need to be aware of the specific health problems of this patient category. The aim of this paper is to present an overview of recent studies on the specific health problems of people with ID, in particular on health problems of people with ID in the community, compared to those of the general population., Method: To reliably compare health problems of individuals with and without ID, this review is limited to comparative research using a control group of individuals without ID. The focus of the review concentrates on international literature, published between 1995 and 2002., Results: Most comparative research among people with ID presents higher prevalence rates for epilepsy, diseases of the skin, sensory loss and (increased risk of) fractures. These health problems are specific for people with ID, both in general and living in the community in particular., Conclusions: there are only few studies focusing on health problems in people with ID in which a control group of individuals without ID is included. Most comparative studies on health problems in people with ID are based on comparison with reported prevalence rates of general health surveys.