Why do people with intellectual disabilities have more health problems?
A case-control study showed that people with intellectual disability in the Netherlands visited their general practitioners 1.7 times as often and received four times as many prescriptions as people without intellectual disability.32 People with intellectual disability may not be able to understand the significance of their physical symptoms and may not report them early. Instead of somatic complaints, physical problems can manifest as challenging behaviour or loss of daily function. It may be as vague as, “John is not his usual self.” Furthermore, some challenging behaviours may be so intense that they adversely affect the physical health of the person. Physical disorders can also be a side effect of psychotropic drugs, prescribed for challenging behaviour.
