The complexity of lifelong comorbidities with severe intellectual disability

ABSTRACT

Background: This descriptive single-case study reports upon a four-decade history of health care and support provided to one male with life-long intellectual disability and significant comorbidities.

Methods: All available paper and electronic documentation from the past 40 years was reviewed, with relevant health and medication information collated and summarised.

Results: The collated information notes radical movement in mental health diagnoses and significant emerging physical health issues. There are disparate and sometimes contradictory mental and physical health diagnoses from age 2 years and significant changes in treatment.

Conclusions: This case outlines a number of important issues for medical and health care practitioners to consider when supporting individuals with intellectual disability. Clear differentiation between an existing intellectual disability, autism, and emerging mental health concerns has remained problematic over many decades. The lack of effective pain management, when contrasted against comprehensive medication regimes for health issues, is particularly concerning.

KEYWORDS:

• Intellectual disability
• comorbidity
• pain
• health
• autism

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge and express their sincere appreciation for the support of the family, disability support workers and medical practitioners in compiling this case study.

Disclosure statement

Both authors have provided health care and/or behavioural support periodically to the individual over the past 20 years. Neither author is currently directly responsible for this individual in terms of daily care, receive no personal payments for this individual, and do not have any financial interests.

ORCID

Stuart Wark http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5366-1860