Background: Mental health professionals play an important role in providing care and treatment for adults with intellectual disabilities. A number of studies use qualitative methods to explore the experiences of these professionals and their perspectives regarding the mental health services for this population. A systematic review using meta-ethnographic approach was undertaken to summarise this research. Method: A systematic search found 14 relevant studies which were critically appraised. Key themes from these studies were extracted and synthesised. Results: Three main themes were identified: 1) Understanding the person, 2) Relational interaction and 3) Organisational factors. Conclusions: The findings of this review identified the issues mental health professionals raised in relation to their work. They described the complex presenting problems as intense yet fulfilling therapeutic relationships with their clients and their wish to improve their knowledge and skills. They identified organisational issues that need to be addressed to improve staff morale and efficiency.

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Background: This research aimed to investigate the views and experiences of specialist mental health professionals working with adults with intellectual disabilities and mental health problems in Singapore in order to gain insight into the functioning of the local specialist intellectual disability mental health service and how it may be improved. Methods: Eight staff members from specialist service were interviewed. The transcriptions of the interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Analysis revealed four themes (1) Identifying their roles; (2) Ensuring continuity of care; (3) Disempowerment of service users and (4) Improving clinical practice. Conclusions: Participants identified the challenges they faced working with this population. They highlighted the importance of building therapeutic relationships during the treatment process and discussed the stigma that people with intellectual disabilities face in the community. Recommendations and implications are discussed in relation to service provision, improving staff knowledge and recruiting more staff to work in this field.

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Background: There is a lack of studies that explore the views and experiences of people with neurodevelopmental disorders of their mental health. This study explored the experiences of five adults with neurodevelopmental disorders who receive outpatient mental health services in Singapore.Method: Two participants attended one-to-one semi-structured interviews and three participants attended a focus group. The data were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis.Results: Four master themes emerged: (1) Sense of self, (2) people who matter to me, (3) having choice and autonomy, and (4) hopes and dreams. Three subthemes were further identified in the second master theme. Conclusion:The themes identified the negative impact of mental illness on self-esteem and their experiences of receiving specialist mental health service in Singapore. Participants also specified desirable traits of professional staff and expressed a wish to have greater participation in the community through employment. Implications of the findings are discussed in the context of improving services for this population and addressing their psychosocial needs during the treatment process.