| Scientific objective:Fundamental improvement of treatment for people with mild intellectual disabilities and behavioural problems constitutes the scientific objective of this research. The empirical basis laid in the past will be expanded and deepened with studies of the most important components of treatment: psychotropic drug use, effectiveness of cognitive-behavioural treatment approaches and professional skills of the caregivers. Three questions follow from this objective: 1) How safe, effective and adequate is the prescription of psychoactive medication for people with MID? 2) What is the effectiveness of the protocolised cognitive-behavioural treatment approach Utrecht Coping Power Program (UCPP) for youth with MID? 3) What are the effects of a staff training programme based on EQ-i and video feedback on the performance of care tasksInfrastructure objective:We aim to transform the current collaboration between institutions (and their clients) and universities into a clearly structured cooperative connection with the following goals: 1) the conduct of research on the treatment of people with MID and behavioural problems; 2) the establishment of client data and knowledge in databases, reports and dissertations; 3) dissemination of knowledge to treatment centres and universities; 4) making expertise externally available; and 5) application of acquired knowledge to further develop and deepen effective treatment options. Effective interventions for clients with mild intellectual disabilities and behavioural problems. People with mild intellectual disabilities (MID) are at higher risk of developing psychiatric disorders and behavioural problems during all stages of their lives compared to people without intellectual disabilities. Very few standardised treatments are available to manage these problems and frequently, these problems are treated with all kinds of therapy without sufficient evidence of efficacy and safety in this population. Therefore, there is an urgent need for more knowledge about safe and effective treatment methods for children and adults with MID and behavioural problems. Clients, clinical and academic institutions of our consortium all together we want to contribute to an essential improvement and scientific foundation of treatment methods. Three important treatment modalities will be examined in relationship to one another and in relationship to the stages of life. We will evaluate: 1) quality, safety and effectiveness of psychotropic treatment, 2) effectiveness of standardized cognitive behavioural therapy together with 3) a training for direct care staff in treatment skills. Interventions are aimed at a reduction of pharmacotherapy, where possible, and at an immediate improvement of overall treatment leading to improving life quality of clients. In our consortium, treatment institutions connected to De Borg , knowledge institute for adults with mild intellectual disabilities and behavioural problems and the VOBC-LVG, knowledge institute for children and adolescents with mild intellectual disabilities and behavioural problems and research-groups of three universities participate. These are the University Utrecht (Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and therapy; Division of Developmental Psychology), Radboud University Nijmegen (Behavioural Science Institute, Division of Special Education) and the Free University Amsterdam (Division of Developmental Psychology). In all research projects clients will be source of information. Furthermore, clients and their delegates will participate in the various phases of the research programme for which several participation techniques will be used. Knowledge acquired from this project will be disseminated in order to achieve maximum clinical advantage. |
