Intellectual disability care professionals show a less positive attitude toward working with people with co-occurring intellectual disability and substance use disorder compared to addiction care professionals. This is shown by research conducted by Radboud university medical center, Aveleijn, Tactus, and NISPA. The researchers call for additional training to better equip professionals to support people with this dual diagnosis.
In addiction care, approximately forty percent of patients have an intellectual disability. At the same time, within intellectual disability care, a substantial proportion of patients drink excessively, smoke, or use cannabis. Yet both sectors remain insufficiently equipped to address this complex combination of problems.
Professor of Addiction Care Arnt Schellekens explains: ‘In addiction care, intellectual disability often goes unrecognized, resulting in patients being placed in regular group therapy that can be difficult for them to follow. In intellectual disability care, the opposite occurs: signs of addiction often go unnoticed, leading to behaviors being interpreted as unwilling or difficult.’ Both conditions also carry stigma. This shapes the way people think and talk about these patients and influences the attitudes of care professionals. Such attitudes affect the quality of care, for example how professionals communicate or what treatments they choose.
To better understand how these attitudes influence care, the researchers examined how professionals in both addiction care and intellectual disability care view people with co-occurring intellectual disability and substance use disorder.
Differences between care sectors
The study shows clear differences. Intellectual disability care professionals hold a less positive attitude toward working with people with co-occurring intellectual disability and substance use disorder compared to addiction care professionals. Professionals in addiction care seem to have a better understanding of addiction in this group, whereas intellectual disability care professionals tend to show more empathy for patients’ emotional and stressful experiences.
What shapes professionals’ attitudes?
The researchers also examined which factors influence care professionals’ attitudes. Clinical psychologist and researcher Louise Kemna explains: ‘Professionals adopt a more negative attitude when they feel that addiction problems are difficult to treat. Conversely, understanding how addiction works and having confidence in clients’ ability to change contributes to a more positive attitude among care professionals.’
Training
According to Schellekens, this presents opportunities to improve care for people with co-occurring intellectual disability and substance use disorder. ‘If we invest in training on both substance use disorder and intellectual disability, professionals will develop a more positive attitude towards people with this dual diagnosis. They recognize warning signs earlier and respond more effectively to what someone needs. This improves the quality of care.’ Psychiatrist and researcher Joanneke van der Nagel adds: ‘A patient with co-occurring intellectual disability and addiction is often supported by a team of professionals. Offering training at the team level not only improves their attitude toward this group but also strengthens a shared and consistent approach.’
About the publication
This research has been published in Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities: Perceptions and attitude towards intellectual disability and substance use disorder: a quantitative study among health professionals. Louise Kemna, Joanneke van der Nagel, Jeannette van Manen, Arnt Schellekens. DOI: 10.1111/jar.70186.
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