The results of this study suggest that QoL is perceived somewhat differently by individuals with ID and by members of their families. This difference could negatively impact QoL of people with ID, if their views are not taken into account when planning for family support. The relationships between individual and family QoL appear to be quite complex, and such complexity needs to be clarified in future research.

Purpose – Diagnosing psychiatric disorders (PD) in adults with Intellectual Disability (ID) presents several issues and need specific skills and tools. The purpose of this paper is to provide a detailed description of the current status of art through a systematic mapping of the literature. Design/methodology/approach – The authors reviewed the international literature on the basis of the following questions: what are the issues in the psychiatric diagnostic process for adults with ID? What methods and procedures have been used for psychiatric assessment in ID? To date, is it possible to identify some most effective procedures? Findings – The analysis of the literature indicates that main issues of the psychiatric diagnostic process in adults with ID are the following: identification of psychiatric symptoms, behavioural equivalents, diagnostic criteria, setting, source of information, screening, and diagnostic tools. The evidence base is only emerging and although many relevant achievements have been reached in the last two decades, no definitive guideline has been produced. Most recent acquisition also allowed to identify some assessment procedures that are currently considered the most effective. Individualised assessment remains the best way to meet the needs of this heterogeneous and variable patient group. Originality/value – This paper offers a comprehensive and updated description of current achievements and issues towards the assessment of PD in people with ID.

Our findings seem to confirm that olanzapine and risperidone can be effective in reducing aggressive behaviour in PWID. Both compounds resulted to be well tolerated, with side effects similar to those encountered in other patient populations.

No abstract

Purpose – The management of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) requires a multimodal approach of behavioural, educational and pharmacological treatments. At present, there are no available drugs to treat the core symptoms of ASDs and therefore a wide range of psychotropic medications are used in the management of problems behaviours, co-occurring psychiatric disorders and other associated features. The purpose of this paper is to map the literature on pharmacological treatment in persons with ASD in order to identify those most commonly used, choice criteria, and safety. Design/methodology/approach – A systematic mapping of the recent literature was undertaken on the basis of the following questions: What are the most frequently used psychoactive compounds in ASD? What are the criteria guiding the choice of a specific compound? How effective and safe is every psychoactive drug used in ASD? The literature search was conducted through search engines available on Medline, Medmatrix, NHS Evidence, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library. Findings – Many psychotropic medications have been studied in ASDs, but few have strong evidence to support their use. Most commonly prescribed medications, in order of frequency, are antipsychotics, antidepressants, anticonvulsants and stimulants, many of them without definitive studies guiding their usage. Recent animal studies can be useful models for understanding the common pathogenic pathways leading to ASDs, and have the potential to offer new biologically focused treatment options. Originality/value – This is a practice review paper applying recent evidence from the literature.