Multiple exposure to life events and clinical psychopathology in adults with intellectual disability

BACKGROUND: Relatively few studies have examined the impact of life events on mental health in the field of intellectual disability (ID), despite the possibility that adults with ID and mental health problems might be particularly vulnerable to multiple events. AIMS: To examine the impact of multiple life events on mental health in people with ID. METHOD: The sample consisted of 281 men and women with ID consecutively referred to a specialist mental health service in South-East London. For each participant, key informants completed the PAS-ADD Life Events list, while psychiatric diagnoses were made by clinicians based on ICD-10 criteria. RESULTS: Logistic regression analysis revealed that single exposure to life events was significantly associated with female gender, schizophrenia, personality disorders and depression. However, multiple exposure to life events was associated with personality disorder, depression and adjustment reaction. CONCLUSIONS: The present results suggest an increased vulnerability to life events in people with ID. A better understanding of the relationship between life events and mental health can enhance the development of interventions, which may benefit substantially this particular population.