Psychological services utilization: relationship to severity of behaviour problems in intellectual disability services

Using the Developmental Disabilities Profile, a population service registry , the present study gives an analysis of the relationship between the rated frequency of contact with psychology specialists and a composite rating of 13 behaviour problems in intellectual disability services. An analysis of information on 45 810 adults with intellectual disability indicated that, w hen the population was divided into quintile groups based on behaviour seve rity, distinctively different distributions of rated contacts with psycholo gists were discernible. The people rated in the highest quintile for severi ty of maladaptive behaviour constituted especially high utilizers of psycho logy services. About 37% of participants had had no contact with psychologi sts during the past year, whereas 26% had such contact weekly or more frequ ently. The findings are introduced and discussed in the context of psycholo gical practice in intellectual disability services and trends toward manage d health and behavioural health care in the USA.