Handbook of Psychopathology in Intellectual Disability: Research, Practice, and Policy

The complex intersecting of genetic, biological, and environmental factors can make intellectual impairments difficult for clinicians to assess and treat. When such comorbid conditions as substance abuse or bipolar disorder are part of the equation, so are increased risks for clinical uncertainties and therapeutic dead-ends.

The Handbook of Psychopathology in Intellectual Disability reflects the diversity of its subject in prevalence and presentation, testing methods and treatment options. Besides focusing on specific pathologies as they affect the course of intellectual disability (ID), its coverage spans the field from in-depth analyses of psychosocial aspects of ID to promising new findings in genetics and the ongoing challenge of providing personalized care tailored to individual client needs. Expert contributors bridge gaps between the evidence base and best practices and improved policy for maximum utility. In addition, chapters are written to benefit the widest variety of professionals treating clients with ID across disciplines.

Key areas featured in the Handbook include:

• General issues and assessment methods.
• Core etiological approaches, including neuroimaging.
• Comorbid psychopathology, including mood, anxiety, and personality disorders.
• Common clinical conditions, such as ADHD, autism, and behavior problems.
• Medical and psychological interventions as well as community and inpatient services.
• Future directions in research and evidence-based practices.

The Handbook of Psychopathology in Intellectual Disability is an essential reference for researchers, professors, and graduate students as well as clinicians and other scientist-practitioners in clinical psychology, psychiatry, social work, rehabilitation medicine, public health, and neuropsychology.

Elias Tsakanikos, Ph.D., has a background in academic psychology and one main stream of his current research focuses on co-morbid psychopathology in adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disabilities. He is a Reader in Psychology, a Chartered Psychologist, an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society (BPS), an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, a member of the British Society for the Study of Individual Differences (BSPID), the International Society for the Study of Individual Differences (ISSID) and a Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH). He is member of various Εditorial boards including Research in Developmental Disabilities, Advances in Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities, Mental Health Research in Intellectual Disabilities, Journal of Experimental Psychiatry and Behavior Therapy, and Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

Jane McCarthy, M.D., has worked for many years as a psychiatrist in services for children and adults with intellectual disability with a very strong emphasis on evidence-based practice. She is Chair of Challenging Behaviour & Mental Health Special Interest Research Group of International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, member of Executive Committee of Section of Psychiatry of Intellectual Disability of World Psychiatric Association, a Fellow of Royal College of Psychiatrists and Vice Chair of Intellectual Disability Faculty of Royal College of Psychiatrists, UK. Dr McCarthy is also the secretary to European Association in Mental Health in Intellectual Disability and until recently co-editor of the Advances in Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities. Her main areas of research are mental health needs of people with intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorders. She is a Clinical Director at St Andrew’s Healthcare and Honorary Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London.