THE PSYCHIATRIC-CARE OF PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES - THE PERCEPTIONS OF CONSULTANT PSYCHIATRISTS IN VICTORIA

Objective: This study was undertaken to establish the perceptions of p sychiatrists regarding the care of people with intellectual disabiliti es. Method: A 28-item self-administered questionnaire was developed, p iloted and sent on two occasions to 457 psychiatrists who receive the newsletter of the Victorian branch of the Royal Australian and New Zea land College of Psychiatrists. The questionnaire incorporated a Likert scale to document the opinions of the respondents. Results: A respons e rate of 51.1 % was achieved. The respondents indicated that, in thei r opinion, people with intellectual disabilities receive a poor standa rd of care in the inpatient and community setting. To improve this sit uation, the following strategies were recommended: the development of improved liaison between services; improved training for all personnel who provide services to people with intellectual disabilities; the de velopment of greater resources; and support for professionals working in the area. The study also indicates that there is a core group of ve ry interested psychiatrists who are currently practising and that peop le with intellectual disabilities are accessing private psychiatric se rvices. In addition, the results suggest that diagnostic overshadowing is not a major barrier to psychiatric assessment, and that disorders which were presumed to be commonly overlooked by doctors (such as depr ession) are in fact frequently being diagnosed. Conclusions: Despite s ome positive findings, the majority of psychiatrists who responded hel d major concerns about the situation of people with intellectual disab ilities. To improve the care provided to these people, it is recommend ed that these concerns are addressed by the psychiatric profession and responsible government departments in conjunction with university dep artments of psychiatry.