Integrative Care for Adolescents With Dual Diagnosis: Considering Trauma and Attachment Within an Innovative Model for Clinical Practice

ABSTRACT

Adolescents with intellectual disability are at significant risk for developing concomitant mental health and behavior problems. Youth who experience “dual diagnosis” face great challenges, and require interventions that will promote their autonomy, self-determination, and adaptive functioning. In this article, we devote attention to innovative components that have received less focus, but that we suggest have great relevance for this population, namely those related to attachment and trauma. We review research examining attachment- and trauma-informed care, and highlight practical approaches for which evidence is emerging. We suggest that a comprehensive treatment model must integrate well-validated and innovative treatment approaches, in order to address the complex clinical concerns of this population.

KEYWORDS:

• Attachment
• intellectual disability
• mental health
• trauma

Funding

This work was supported by a BC Children’s Hospital/Kids Brain Health Network postdoctoral fellowship to Emily Gardiner, a Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research (MSFHR) Scholar Award to Grace Iarocci, and Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) grant [Grant No. 111117] to Marlene Moretti.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by a BC Children’s Hospital/Kids Brain Health Network postdoctoral fellowship to Emily Gardiner, a Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research (MSFHR) Scholar Award to Grace Iarocci, and Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) grant [Grant No. 111117] to Marlene Moretti.