Tobacco and alcohol‐related interventions for people with mild/moderate intellectual disabilities: a systematic review of the literature

Abstract

This review is the first to systematically collate evidence on tobacco and alcohol-related interventions for people with ID. While there is currently little evidence to guide practice, the review delivers clear insights for the development of interventions and presents a strong case for more robust research methods. In particular there is a need to test the effectiveness of interventions in large-scale, well-designed trials and to ensure that outcome measures are developed/tailored appropriately for this client group.

A feasibility randomised controlled trial of extended brief intervention for alcohol misuse in adults with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities living in the community; The EBI-LD study

“…In contrast, the existing literature on adults with ID is limited in quantity and quality. In a systematic review of alcohol-related interventions, the authors found only one randomised controlled trial (RCT) evaluating educational materials about substance misuse in groups of adults with ID recruited from both community and hospital settings [10]. …”

“…In terms of quality, the existing studies have used uncontrolled designs, pre and post evaluations or case studies/case series and or offenders in secure hospitals who are unlikely to use any skills learned in the community [10]. None of the studies has included an evaluation of cost-effectiveness.…”

“…Overall, the limited literature that is available suggests that motivational interviewing and education on the effects of excessive drinking using accessible materials are key elements in treatment programmes for adults with ID [10–12]. In general, interventions for mental disorders that are effective in other population groups may also be delivered to adults with ID, e.g.…”

The Usefulness of Implicit Measures for the Screening, Assessment and Treatment of Problematic Alcohol Use in Individuals with Mild to Borderline Intellectual Disability

“…Our research thus underscores previous findings suggesting that treatment interventions for individuals with MBID must be tailored to their needs (e.g. Degenhardt 2000; Kerr et al 2013). …”

“…Burgard et al 2000;Degenhardt 2000). Thus, there is a need for more research to improve the care and treatment of individuals with MBID who have problematic substance use (Carroll Chapman and Wu 2012;Van Duijvenbode et al 2015;Kerr et al 2013).…”