ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Patients with borderline intellectual functioning (BIF) or intellectual disability (ID) are more likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, co-occurrence of BIF/ID and PTSD symptoms often leads to exclusion for treatment in regular mental health care centers.
AIM: To determine whether standard treatment programs for PTSD can be used in the treatment of patients with BIF/ID.
METHOD: Qualitative review of good practices, scientific literature and recent reports about BIF, ID and PTSD.
RESULTS: Literature on evidence-based treatment programs for PTSD suggests that there is no need to be reluctant in starting treatment in patients with BIF/ID. Adjustment of communication and tempo is recommended.
CONCLUSION: There is reason to believe that standard treatment can be used in treating patients with a low IQ. More research to confirm this assumption is necessary, taken into account the size of this patient group.