Clinical Usefulness of the Diagnostic Manual-Intellectual Disability for Mental Disorders in Persons With Intellectual Disability

Abstract

The DM-ID is a useful adaptation of the DSM-IV-TR for persons with intellectual disability. Professionals indicated that it was easy to use, resulted in accurate diagnoses, and can reduce the use of the NOS category. Further research is needed to evaluate the reliability and validity of the DM-ID.

Low mood and challenging behaviour in people with severe and profound intellectual disabilities

“…2007) provides an alternative method of diagnosing depression, based on an adaptation of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4th Edition Text Revised. There is preliminary support for the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of the DM‐ID (Fletcher et al . 2009) and future studies could usefully compare the relative utility of the DM‐ID, the DC‐LD and the MIPQ.…”

Psychiatric Services for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Medication Management

“…In contrast, we found that most of the patients in this sample had a previous psychiatric diagnosis at referral, and by discharge, all had received a DSM-IV-TR diagnosis. This finding suggests that despite the limitations of the current DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for individuals with IDD (Fletcher et al, 2009), with careful assessment, an appropriate diagnosis can be made. This also supports the consensus recommendations to establish a DSM-IV-TR diagnosis whenever possible to guide the establishment of the treatment plan.…”

Diagnostic Masking and Overshadowing in Intellectual Disability—How Structured Evaluation Helps

“…Diagnosing the condition helped in planning appropriate treatment strategies, which further reduced the significant patient and caregiver distress. The diagnostic method in our patient reflects the expanding use of the DM‐ID to identify and treat underlying comorbid psychiatric illnesses in persons with ID (Fletcher et al., ).…”

“…Diagnosing the condition helped in planning appropriate treatment strategies, which further reduced the significant patient and caregiver distress. The diagnostic method in our patient reflects the expanding use of the DM-ID to identify and treat underlying comorbid psychiatric illnesses in persons with ID (Fletcher et al, 2009). The provision of both pharmacologic and psychosocial interventions for a holistic response is often preferred in patients with ID (Benson, 2016;Ruedrich, 2016).…”

“…"Diagnostic masking" occurs when the symptoms are obscured by the pre-existing ID, whereas "diagnostic overshadowing" results when the clinicians circumscribe their diagnostic process and mislabel the complex symptoms as mere manifestations of ID (Girimaji, 2008;Reiss et al, 1982;White et al, 1995). Nonetheless, contemporary research has yielded a specific diagnostic manual among various other instruments to elucidate psychopathology leading to a systematic diagnostic process in persons with ID (Fletcher et al, 2009;Matson et al, 2012).…”