New research from Special Olympics Health, authored by SOI’s Chief Health Officer, Dr. Dimitri Christakis It was published in JAMA Network Open with the title: Anxiety, depression, and barriers to care in adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities
The study reveals that adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in the United States experience significantly higher rates of mental health conditions, treatment utilization, and cost-related barriers than those without functional disabilities.
Key findings include:
- Reports of daily depression are 18 times more common among adults with direct contact disorder.
- Adults with IDD are nine times more likely to report a diagnosis of anxiety and/or depression.
- Adults with IDD are seven times more likely to take medication for anxiety and nearly nine times more likely to take medication for depression.
- Despite high medication use, access to treatment is delayed: adults with IDD are five times more likely to report being unable to access needed treatment due to cost.
You can access the press release here.
