Participation in Special Olympics reduces the rate for developing diabetes in adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

AIM: Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) have a significantly higher prevalence of Type 2 diabetes than the general population. Evidence that lifestyle and/or behavioural interventions, such as participation in Special Olympics, decreases the risk of developing diabetes in adults with IDD could help minimize health disparities and promote overall health in this population. METHODS: This was a 20-year retrospective cohort study of adults with IDD (30-39 years) in the province of Ontario, Canada, that compared hazard rates of diabetes among Special Olympics participants (n = 4145) to non-participants (n = 31,009) using administrative health databases housed at ICES. Using cox proportional hazard models, crude and adjusted hazard ratios were calculated for the association between the primary independent variable (Special Olympics participation status) and the dependent variable (incident diabetes cases). RESULTS: After controlling for other variables, the hazard ratio comparing rates for developing diabetes between Special Olympics participants and non-participants was 0.85. This represents a 15% reduction in the hazard among Special Olympics participants when followed for up to 20 years. This result was statistically significant and represents a small effect size. CONCLUSIONS: Special Olympics could be considered a complex intervention that promotes physical activity engagement through sport participation, health screenings, and the promotion of healthy eating habits through educational initiatives. This study provides evidence that Special Olympics participation decreases the rate for developing diabetes.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on prescription stimulant use among children and youth: a population-based study.

COVID-19 associated public health measures and school closures exacerbated symptoms in some children and youth with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Less well understood is how the pandemic influenced patterns of prescription stimulant use. We conducted a population-based study of stimulant dispensing to children and youth ≤ 24 years old between January 1, 2013, and June 30, 2022. We used structural break analyses to identify the pandemic month(s) when changes in the dispensing of stimulants occurred. We used interrupted time series models to quantify changes in dispensing following the structural break and compare observed and expected stimulant use. Our main outcome was the change in the monthly rate of stimulant use per 100,000 children and youth. Following an initial immediate decline of 60.1 individuals per 100,000 (95% confidence interval [CI] - 99.0 to - 21.2), the monthly rate of stimulant dispensing increased by 11.8 individuals per 100,000 (95% CI 10.0-13.6), with the greatest increases in trend observed among females, individuals in the highest income neighbourhoods, and those aged 20 to 24. Observed rates were between 3.9% (95% CI 1.7-6.2%) and 36.9% (95% CI 34.3-39.5%) higher than predicted among females from June 2020 onward and between 7.1% (95% CI 4.2-10.0%) and 50.7% (95% CI 47.0-54.4%) higher than expected among individuals aged 20-24 from May 2020 onward. Additional research is needed to ascertain the appropriateness of stimulant use and to develop strategies supporting children and youth with ADHD during future periods of long-term stressors.

Intellectual and developmental disabilities in Ontario's criminal justice and forensic mental health systems: Using data to tell the story.

BACKGROUND: International studies show that adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are disproportionately represented in the criminal justice and forensic mental health systems; however, it is difficult to capture their involvement across systems in any one jurisdiction. AIMS: The current study aimed to estimate the prevalence of IDD across different parts of the criminal justice and forensic mental health systems in Ontario and to describe the demographic and clinical profiles of these individuals relative to their counterparts without IDD. METHODS: This project utilised administrative data to identify and describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of adults with IDD and criminal justice or forensic involvement across four sectors: federal correctional facilities, provincial correctional facilities, forensic inpatient mental health care and community mental health programmes. Questions were driven by and results were contextualised by a project advisory group and people with lived experience from the different sectors studied, resulting in a series of recommendations. RESULTS: Adults with IDD were over-represented in each of the four settings, ranging from 2.1% in federal corrections to 16.7% in forensic inpatient care. Between 20% (forensic inpatient) and 38.4% (provincial corrections) were under the age of 25 and between 34.5% (forensic inpatient) and 41.8% (provincial corrections) resided in the lowest income neighbourhoods. Medical complexity and rates of co-occurring mental health conditions were higher for people with IDD than those without IDD in federal and provincial corrections. CONCLUSIONS: Establishing a population-based understanding of people with IDD within these sectors is an essential first step towards understanding and addressing service and care needs. Building on the perspectives of people who work in and use these systems, this paper concludes with intervention recommendations before, during and after justice involvement.

The role of thriving in mental health among people with intellectual and developmental disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on the mental health of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Numerous pandemic-related stressors experienced by people with intellectual and developmental disabilities may have impacted their ability to thrive, which has been linked to mental health outcomes. The current study examined the associations among COVID-19 stressors, thriving, and mental health problems among youth and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. METHOD: Caregivers of 159 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities between 12 and 35 years of age from Canada completed an online questionnaire. RESULTS: A mediation analysis revealed that COVID-19 stressors were positively associated with mental health problems, and that thriving partially mediated this association. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that experiences of thriving may be an important target for mental health support for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The feasibility of an adapted virtual mindfulness intervention for Special Olympics athletes and their caregivers.

BACKGROUND: Virtual mindfulness may be helpful for individuals with intellectual disabilities in the context of COVID-related disruptions of in-person programming, such as Special Olympics (SO). This study examined the feasibility of a virtual mindfulness intervention for SO athletes and their caregivers. METHOD: SO athletes (n = 44) and their caregivers (n = 29) participated in a 6-week adapted virtual mindfulness intervention. Athletes completed mindfulness and well-being questionnaires prior to, immediately following, and 3-months post-intervention. Caregivers completed questionnaires assessing their own stress, mindfulness, and well-being, as well as athlete mental health. Exit interviews were conducted immediately following the intervention. RESULTS: The intervention was feasible in terms of demand, implementation, acceptability, and limited testing efficacy. There were significant improvements in athlete well-being and mental health, and caregiver stress and mindfulness post-intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Adapted virtual mindfulness groups may be an effective intervention in improving the well-being of adults with intellectual disabilities and their caregivers.

"Everything has changed since COVID": Ongoing challenges faced by Canadian adults with intellectual disabilities during waves 2 and 3 of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the lives of people with intellectual disabilities in many ways, impacting their health and wellbeing. Early in the pandemic, the research team delivered a six-week virtual group-based program to help Canadian adults with intellectual disabilities cope and better manage their mental health. The study's objective was to explore ongoing concerns among individuals with intellectual disabilities following their participation in this education and support program. Thematic analysis was used to analyze participant feedback provided eight weeks after course completion. Twenty-four participants were interviewed in January 2021 and May 2021 across two cycles of the course. Three themes emerged: 1) employment and financial challenges; 2) navigating changes and ongoing restrictions; and 3) vaccine anticipation and experience. These findings suggest that despite benefiting from the program, participants continued to experience pandemic-related challenges in 2021, emphasising the need to continually engage people with intellectual disabilities.

Addressing Metabolic Comorbidity in Individuals With Intellectual and Developmental Disability on Antipsychotics: A Clinical Case Series.

PURPOSE/BACKGROUND: Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) are at increased risk for serious metabolic comorbidities, which is further exacerbated by the high rate of antipsychotic use in this population. There is currently a lack of literature on effective treatment options for antipsychotic-induced weight gain and metabolic abnormalities in IDD. This case series reports on the clinical use of metformin in patients with IDD on antipsychotics. METHODS/PROCEDURES: We conducted a retrospective review of patients in a novel clinical service at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, Ontario, Canada for adults with IDD experiencing antipsychotic-related weight gain and other metabolic aberrations. Charts were reviewed for weight and other metabolic outcome measures before and after commencing metformin treatment. FINDINGS/RESULTS: In 11 patients referred to this clinic, the mean weight loss while on metformin treatment was 11.1 kg, with over 50% of the sample achieving clinically meaningful weight loss of >7%. Additional adaptive changes were observed for fasting glucose, glycated hemoglobin, triglyceride, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. IMPLICATIONS/CONCLUSIONS: In line with its use in severe mental illness, metformin may be a safe, effective, and accessible treatment option for patients with IDD experiencing metabolic adverse effects of antipsychotic medication. Further research and randomized controlled trials are needed to examine the efficacy of metformin in this population.

Impact of a Publicly-Funded Pharmacare Program on Prescription Stimulant use Among Children and Youth: A Population-Based Observational Natural Experiment.

OBJECTIVE: Stimulants are first-line pharmacotherapy for individuals with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. However, disparities in drug coverage may contribute to inequitable treatment access. In January 2018, the government of Ontario, Canada, implemented a publicly-funded program (OHIP+) providing universal access to medications at no cost to children and youth between the ages of 0 and 24. In April 2019, the program was amended to cover only children and youth without private insurance. We studied whether these policy changes were associated with changes in prescription stimulant dispensing to Ontario children and youth. METHODS: We conducted a population-based observational natural experiment study of stimulant dispensing to children and youth in Ontario between January 2013 and March 2020. We used interventional autoregressive integrated moving average models to estimate the association between OHIP+ and its subsequent modification with stimulant dispensing trends. RESULTS: The implementation of OHIP+ was associated with a significant immediate increase in the monthly rate of stimulant dispensing of 53.6 individuals per 100,000 population (95% confidence interval [CI], 36.8 to 70.5 per 100,000) and a 14.2% (95% CI, 12.8% to 15.6%) relative percent increase in stimulant dispensing rates between December 2017 and March 2019 (1198.6 vs. 1368.7 per 100,000 population). The April 2019 OHIP+ program amendment was associated with an increase in monthly stimulant dispensing trends of 10.2 individuals per 100,000 population (95% CI, 5.0 to 15.5), with rates increasing 7.5% (95% CI, 6.2% to 8.7%) between March 2019 and March 2020 (1368.7 vs. 1470.8 per 100,000 population). These associations were most pronounced among males, children and youth living in the highest income neighbourhoods and individuals aged 20 to 24. CONCLUSION: A publicly-funded pharmacare program was associated with more children and youth being dispensed stimulants.

Population level administrative data evidence of visits to the emergency department by youth with intellectual/developmental disabilities in BC, Canada.

INTRODUCTION: The literature indicates that youth with intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDD) have poor health and that access to health services decreases as they transition from pediatric to adult services. At the same time their use of emergency department services increases. The objective of this study was to compare use of emergency department services by youth with IDD to youth without IDD, with particular emphasis on the transition period from pediatric to adult health care services. METHODS: This research used a population level administrative health data base for the province of British Columbia Canada for 2010-2019 to examine the use of emergency departments by youth with IDD (N = 20,591) compared to a population group of youth without IDD (N = 1,293,791). Using the ten years of data, odds ratios for visits to the emergency department were calculated adjusting for sex, income and geographical area within the Province. In addition, difference-in-differences analyses were calculated for age matched subsets of the two cohorts. RESULTS: Over the ten year period, 40.60% of youth with IDD visited an emergency department at least once, compared to 29.10% of youth without IDD. Youth with IDD had an odds ratio of visiting an emergency department 1.697 (1.649, 1.747) times that of youth without IDD. However, when odds were adjusted for a diagnosis of either psychotic illness or anxiety/depression, the odds for youth with IDD visiting emergency compared to youth without IDD were reduced to 1.063 (1.031, 1.096). Use of emergency services increased as youth aged. Type of IDD also affected use of emergency services. Youth with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome had the greatest odds of using emergency services compared to youth with other types of IDD. DISCUSSION: The findings from this study indicate that youth with IDD have higher odds of using emergency services than youth without IDD although these increased odds appear to be largely driven by mental illness. In addition, use of emergency services increases as the youth age and transition from pediatric to adult health services. Better treatment of mental health issues within this population may reduce their use of emergency services.

Geographic variation and sociodemographic correlates of prescription psychotropic drug use among children and youth in Ontario, Canada: a population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Population-based research examining geographic variability in psychotropic medication dispensing to children and youth and the sociodemographic correlates of such variation is lacking. Variation in psychotropic use could reflect disparities in access to non-pharmacologic interventions and identify potentially concerning use patterns. METHODS: We conducted a population-based study of all Ontario residents aged 0 to 24 years who were dispensed a benzodiazepine, stimulant, antipsychotic or antidepressant between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2018. We conducted small-area variation analyses and identified determinants of dispensing using negative binomial generalized estimating equation models. RESULTS: The age- and sex-standardized rate of psychotropic dispensing to children and youth was 76.8 (range 41.7 to 144.4) prescriptions per 1000 population, with large variation in psychotropic dispensing across Ontario's census divisions. Males had higher antipsychotic [rate ratio (RR) 1.40; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.36 to 1.44) and stimulant (RR 1.75; 95% CI 1.70 to 1.80) dispensing rates relative to females, with less use of benzodiazepines (RR 0.85; 95% CI 0.83 to 0.88) and antidepressants (RR 0.81; 95% CI 0.80 to 0.82). Lower antipsychotic dispensing was observed in the highest income neighbourhoods (RR 0.72; 95% CI 0.70 to 0.75) relative to the lowest. Benzodiazepine (RR 1.12; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.24) and stimulant (RR 1.11; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.23) dispensing increased with the density of mental health services in census divisions, whereas antipsychotic use decreased (RR 0.82; 95% CI 0.73 to 0.91). The regional density of child and adolescent psychiatrists and developmental pediatricians (RR 1.00; 95% CI 0.99 to 1.01) was not associated with psychotropic dispensing. CONCLUSION: We found significant variation in psychotropic dispensing among young Ontarians. Targeted investment in regions with long wait times for publicly-funded non-pharmacological interventions and novel collaborative service models may minimize variability and promote best practices in using psychotropics among children and youth.

Impact of a publicly-funded pharmacare program policy on benzodiazepine dispensing among children and youth: a population-based natural experiment.

BACKGROUND: In January 2018, the Government of Ontario, Canada, initiated a universal pharmacare program (OHIP+) for all individuals aged 24 years and younger. In April 2019, the program was amended to cover only children and youth without private insurance. Because benzodiazepines are commonly prescribed to children and youth despite their potential hazards, we examined whether changes in publicly-funded drug coverage influenced benzodiazepine dispensing trends in this demographic. METHODS: We conducted a population-based natural experiment study of benzodiazepine dispensing to children and youth in Ontario between January 2013 and March 2020. We used interventional autoregressive integrated moving average models to estimate the impact of OHIP + and its subsequent modification on these trends. RESULTS: The implementation of OHIP + was associated with an immediate increase in the monthly rate of benzodiazepine dispensing of 12.9 individuals per 100,000 population (95% confidence interval [CI]; 7.5 to 18.3 per 100,000). Benzodiazepine dispensing rates rose from 214.2 to 241.5 per 100,000 from December 2017 to March 2019, a 12.8% (95% CI 9.6-16.0%) increase. In stratified analyses, increases were most pronounced among females, children and youth living in the lowest income neighbourhoods and individuals aged 20 to 24. The April 2019 modification to OHIP + was not associated with changes in monthly benzodiazepine dispensing trends (0.39 individuals per 100,000; 95% CI -1.3 to 2.1 per 100,000). However, rates remained elevated relative to the period preceding OHIP + implementation. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of a publicly-funded pharmacare program resulted in more children and youth being prescribed benzodiazepines.

Young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities who participate in Special Olympics are less likely to be diagnosed with depression.

PURPOSE: People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) experience high rates of depression. Evidence indicates that physical activity, or participation in a sports club, in a supportive social environment has mental and physical health benefits. Adults with IDD, on average, engage in low levels of physical activity. The purpose of this study was to compare the rates of depression among young adult Special Olympics participants with IDD compared to non-participants with IDD. METHODS: This was a 20-year retrospective cohort study of young adults (19-29 years) with IDD in the province of Ontario, Canada that compared rates of depression among Special Olympics participants (n = 8710) to non-participants (n = 42,393) using administrative health databases housed at ICES (formerly the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences). Using cox proportional hazard models, the crude hazard ratios were calculated for the association between each independent variable and the dependent variable. RESULTS: After controlling for other variables, the hazard rate for depression among Special Olympics participants compared to the hazard rate for depression among non-participants generated an adjusted hazard ratio of 0.51. Over the 20-year follow-up, the participants were 0.51 times as likely to develop depression as non-participants; this represents a 49% reduction in risk among Special Olympics participants. This result was statistically significant and represents a medium effect size. CONCLUSION: Future research is needed on how much of this risk reduction is related to a physiological response to physical activity/exercise, and how much is related to the social connectedness of being part of a group participating in Special Olympics.

The Disability-Related Education and Training Experiences of Perinatal Care Providers in Ontario.

We describe the disability-related education and training experiences of perinatal care providers in Ontario. Twenty perinatal care providers (e.g., obstetricians, midwives) participated in semi-structured interviews. Using a content analysis approach, we found most acquired disability-related training through their own initiative as opposed to education through professional training programs. Barriers to training included lack of data on disability and pregnancy and limited experiential learning opportunities. Providers recommended that future training focus on experiential learning and social determinants of health, with people with disabilities involved in developing and delivering training. These efforts are vital to optimize pregnancy outcomes for people with disabilities.

Unmet needs, limited access: A qualitative study of postpartum health care experiences of people with disabilities.

AIM: To understand the postpartum care received by birthing people with disabilities and their newborns, from their own perspectives. DESIGN: A qualitative study with semi-structured interviews. METHODS: Between July 2019 and February 2020, in-person and virtual interviews were conducted with 31 people with physical, sensory, and intellectual/developmental disabilities in Ontario, Canada, about the formal inpatient and outpatient services and supports they used in the first few months after they gave birth. Thematic analysis was used identify common themes. RESULTS: We identified three overall themes concerning participants' postpartum care experiences and the different types of formal services received in and out of hospital: (1) lack of adequate care, (2) lack of provider awareness of disability and disability accommodations, and (3) fear of judgement, discrimination, and intrusive surveillance. The identified themes were applicable across disability groups. However, most comments on disability accommodations came from participants with physical or sensory disabilities, while participants with intellectual/developmental disabilities most commonly reported concerns about lack of adequate care and fear of judgement, discrimination, and intrusive surveillance. CONCLUSION: Findings indicate that postpartum care often fails people with disabilities. This could contribute to negative health consequences for them and their newborns. IMPACT: Birthing people with disabilities need multidisciplinary, proactive, and strengths-based postpartum care to mitigate risk for health complications. Further, disability-related training and guidelines for health and social service providers is required. REPORTING METHOD: Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ). PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Our research team included two peer researchers with physical disabilities who served as co-interviewers and participated in data analysis, contributing their lived experience of disability and interactions with the health care system. All stages of the study were also informed by feedback from the study's Advisory Committee, which comprised women with disabilities (many of whom are parents), disability organization staff, clinicians, and policy representatives.

A systematic review of intellectual and developmental disability curriculum in international pre-graduate health professional education.

BACKGROUND: Despite the increasing global population of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), this population remains especially vulnerable to health disparities through several factors such as a lack of access to sufficient medical care and poor determinants of health. To add, numerous studies have shown that healthcare professionals are still insufficiently prepared to support this population of patients. This review synthesizes the literature on current pre-graduate IDD training programs across healthcare professions with the goal of informing the creation of evidence-based curricula. METHODS: Four major databases were searched for current pre-graduate IDD training interventions for healthcare professionals. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis flow diagram and the Best Evidence Medical Educations systematic review guide were used to frame our collection and analysis. RESULTS: Of the 8601 studies screened, 32 studies were identified, with most studies involving medical students (50%). Of note, 35% of studies were interprofessional. Most interventions utilized multiple pedagogical methods with a majority including clinical experiences (63%) followed by theoretical teaching (59%). Kirkpatrick levels showed 9% were level 0, 6% were level 1, 31% were level 2A, 31% were level 2B, 19% were level 3, 3% were level 4A, and none were level 4B. CONCLUSIONS: There is a paucity of formally evaluated studies in pre-graduate health professional IDD education. As well, there are a lack of longitudinal learning opportunities and integration into formal curriculum. Strengths identified were the use of multimodal approaches to teaching, including interprofessional approaches to optimize team competencies.

The Use of Medically Required Dental Services by Youth with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities in British Columbia, Canada.

INTRODUCTION: The literature indicates that youth with intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDD), such as Down syndrome or autism, have poor oral health. A number of factors influence their oral health, including the use of medically required dental treatments. METHODS: This paper describes the first use of population-level administrative health data to examine the use of medically required dental services by youth with IDD compared with youth without IDD in Canada. RESULTS: Youth with IDD had 4-9 times the odds of a medically required dental treatment compared with youth without IDD. Odds varied with age and type of IDD. CONCLUSIONS: Youth with IDD used medically required dental services to a greater extent than youth without IDD. Use of medically required dental treatments by youth with IDD declined with age; this may indicate greater difficulty accessing services when youth transition from pediatric to adult services. These findings provide baseline information on the use of medically required dental treatments and can contribute to future assessments of dental services for youth with IDD.

Amenable deaths among adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities including Down syndrome: An Ontario population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Rates of death and avoidable deaths are reportedly higher among people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This study contributes to our understanding of how mortality and intellectual and development disabilities are associated. METHOD: General population and intellectual and developmental disabilities adult cohorts were defined using linked administrative data. All-cause and amenable deaths between 2010 and 2015 were reported for these cohorts and subcohorts with and without Down syndrome. Cox proportional hazards models evaluated the impact of potential contributors to amenable deaths. RESULTS: Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities had higher all-cause (6.1 vs. 1.6%) and amenable death percentages (21.4 vs. 14.1%) than general population comparators. Within intellectual and developmental disabilities, those with Down syndrome had higher all-cause (12.0 vs. 6.0%) but lower amenable death percentages (19.2 vs. 21.8%) than those without. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that interventions to reduce amenable deaths target provider-care-recipient interactions and coordination across care and support sectors.

Outcomes in patients with and without disability admitted to hospital with COVID-19: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Disability-related considerations have largely been absent from the COVID-19 response, despite evidence that people with disabilities are at elevated risk for acquiring COVID-19. We evaluated clinical outcomes in patients who were admitted to hospital with COVID-19 with a disability compared with patients without a disability. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study that included adults with COVID-19 who were admitted to hospital and discharged between Jan. 1, 2020, and Nov. 30, 2020, at 7 hospitals in Ontario, Canada. We compared in-hospital death, admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), hospital length of stay and unplanned 30-day readmission among patients with and without a physical disability, hearing or vision impairment, traumatic brain injury, or intellectual or developmental disability, overall and stratified by age (≤ 64 and ≥ 65 yr) using multivariable regression, controlling for sex, residence in a long-term care facility and comorbidity. RESULTS: Among 1279 admissions to hospital for COVID-19, 22.3% had a disability. We found that patients with a disability were more likely to die than those without a disability (28.1% v. 17.6%), had longer hospital stays (median 13.9 v. 7.8 d) and more readmissions (17.6% v. 7.9%), but had lower ICU admission rates (22.5% v. 28.3%). After adjustment, there were no statistically significant differences between those with and without disabilities for in-hospital death or admission to ICU. After adjustment, patients with a disability had longer hospital stays (rate ratio 1.36, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.19-1.56) and greater risk of readmission (relative risk 1.77, 95% CI 1.14-2.75). In age-stratified analyses, we observed longer hospital stays among patients with a disability than in those without, in both younger and older subgroups; readmission risk was driven by younger patients with a disability. INTERPRETATION: Patients with a disability who were admitted to hospital with COVID-19 had longer stays and elevated readmission risk than those without disabilities. Disability-related needs should be addressed to support these patients in hospital and after discharge.

The metabolic adverse effects of antipsychotic use in individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disability: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disability (IDD) are often prescribed antipsychotics (APs). However, despite their known propensity to cause metabolic adverse effects, including weight gain, diabetes, and increased risk of cardiovascular events, there is currently a limited body of literature describing the metabolic consequences of AP use in this population. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychINFO, CENTRAL, and CINAHL databases to identify all randomized trials that reported on the metabolic effects of APs in individuals with IDD. Random effects meta-analyses were used to examine weight gain as both a continuous and dichotomous outcome. RESULTS: Eighteen randomized trials met our inclusion criteria with a total of 1376 patients across a variety of IDDs. AP use was associated with significantly greater weight gain compared with placebo (Continuous: mean difference = 1.10 kg, [0.79, 1.40], p < 0.00001, I2  = 54%; Dichotomous: odds ratio = 3.94, [2.15, 7.23], p < 0.00001, I2  = 0). Sub-group analysis revealed no significant effect of AP type. Data regarding the effects of APs on other metabolic outcomes were limited. CONCLUSION: This review (PROSPERO # CRD42021255558) demonstrates that AP use is associated with significant weight gain among patients with IDD. Concerningly, most reported studies were in children and adolescents, which sets up an already vulnerable population for adverse medical sequalae at an early age. There was also a lack of long-term studies in adults with IDD. Further studies are required to better understand how AP use affects metabolic parameters in this group of individuals.

Barriers to and facilitators of effective communication in perinatal care: a qualitative study of the experiences of birthing people with sensory, intellectual, and/or developmental disabilities.

BACKGROUND: Effective provider-patient communication is a key element of quality health care, including perinatal care. What constitutes "effective communication" in perinatal care may vary according to the population seeking care, such as women with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and sensory disabilities. Research broadly indicates that communication issues are among the barriers to perinatal care experienced by women with disabilities. However, few studies have explicitly explored their communication experiences in this context. The purpose of this study was to understand the communication experiences of birthing people with IDD and/or sensory disabilities in perinatal care. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 17 people with IDD (e.g., autism, cognitive delay) and/or sensory disabilities (e.g., d/Deaf, blind) in Ontario, Canada, who had recently given birth, to explore barriers to and facilitators of effective communication in perinatal care. A combination of deductive and inductive thematic analysis guided data analysis. RESULTS: We found that birthing people with IDD and/or sensory disabilities encountered multiple barriers to effective communication in perinatal care, namely, lack of policies and guidelines, lack of provider experience, lack of provider effort, as well as ableism and provider assumptions. Facilitators included knowledgeable, aware, and supportive providers; access to communication aids and services; tailoring information to patients' disability-related communication needs; empathic communication; and, communication among providers. CONCLUSION: Unmet communication needs may contribute to negative health and social outcomes for birthing people with disabilities and their newborns. Accessibility policy implementation and practice change are needed to meet the communication needs of people with IDD and/or sensory disabilities in perinatal care to ensure positive experiences and outcomes.