Adult neurodevelopmental services in Singapore: A sociodemographic and clinical profile at a tertiary psychiatric hospital

Abstract

Introduction: The Adult Neurodevelopmental Service in Singapore is the first service of its kind in South-East Asia for adults with intellectual disability (ID) and/or autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, few studies have documented and compared the sociodemographic characteristics and clinical needs of this subpopulation group.Methods: Initial assessments conducted from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2016 were retrospectively reviewed for this descriptive study.Results: A total of 272 patients were included in the study (mean age 28.3 ± 11.5; 200 males, 72 females). Adults with ID comprised the largest percentage (52.9%), followed by those with ASD (30.2%), and then those with cooccurring ASD and ID (16.9%). The ASD subgroup had the highest proportion of individuals with employment, postsecondary school education, functional capabilities, and a psychiatric disorder. In comparison, adults with only ID and adults with co-occurring ASD and ID shared similar lower levels of education and employment, and had a higher proportion of individuals with epilepsy and aggressive behavior.Discussion: In this study, adults with ASD had a unique social profile with different clinical needs compared to adults with only ID or to adults with co-occurring ASD and ID. Adults with only ID and those with co-occurring ASD shared many of the same social characteristics and high clinical needs. The analysis of these profiles will be useful in developing services that better meet the needs of this complex group. K E Y W O R D S adult, autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, mental retardation, neurodevelopmental disorder

Services for people with intellectual disabilities and mental health problems in Singapore: perspectives from mainstream mental health professionals

“… 2007 , Moon et al. 2020 ). MMHPs noted difficulties understanding and identifying the mental health problems in people with intellectual disabilities as compared to the general population due to barriers of communication which are well-documented in previous research (Bekkema et al.…”

What do specialist mental health professionals think of the mental health services for people with intellectual disabilities in Singapore?

“…These professionals have had additional training and experience in working with this population. Adults with intellectual disabilities make up the largest percentage of cases and the majority of them present with low mood or psychotic symptoms as well as aggression towards others and self-injurious behaviours ( Moon et al, 2020 ).…”

What Are the Experiences of People with Neurodevelopmental Disorders Receiving Outpatient Mental Health Services in Singapore?

“…Singapore has developed mental health services for people with ND during the past 10 years (Moon et al, 2020). As yet, there has been no research conducted to explore their views and experiences of the services they receive.…”