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Confounding factors for depression in adults with mild learning disability

Psychiatry Services, Oliver House, 4 Ivy House, 4 Ivy Lodge Close, Marston Green, Birmingham B37 7HJ, UK. E-mail: doctorferoz{at}yahoo.co.uk

EDITED BY KHALIDA ISMAIL

The point prevalence of a major depressive illness in people with learning disability is between 2 and 7%, which means that depression can be twice as common in this group as in the general population (Prasher, 1999).

Collishaw et al (2004) present strong evidence for directing strategies of primary prevention towards socio-economic deprivation and ill health in people with mild learning disabilities. However, these results should be viewed with caution as the study did not control for certain important factors. Certain groups of people with learning disability are shown to be at a risk of developing a depressive illness, for example those with Down's syndrome, fragile-X syndrome or epilepsy (Prasher, 1999).

Down's syndrome and fragile-X syndrome are among the most common genetic causes of learning disabilities, and epilepsy is 10 times more common in people with mild learning disability than in the general population (Bird, 1997).

This implies that factors other than socio-economic deprivation could have contributed to the depressed mood in those with mild learning disability.

REFERENCES

Bird, J. (1997) Epilepsy and learning disabilities. In Seminars in the Psychiatry of Learning Disabilities (ed. O. Russell), pp. 223 -244. London: Gaskell.

Collishaw, S., Maughan, B. & Pickles, A. (2004) Affective problems in adults with mild learning disability: the roles of social disadvantage and ill health. British Journal of Psychiatry, 185, 350 -351.[Abstract/Free Full Text]

Prasher, V. (1999) Presentation and management of depression in people with learning disability. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, 5, 447 -454.[Free Full Text]

This Article Full Text (PDF) Submit an eLetter Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Feroz-Nainar, C. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Feroz-Nainar, C.