Intellectual Disabilities and ’Personality Disorder’

Vicky Lauté is a Principal Lead Psychologist, with experience of working in Adult Mental Health Outpatient Services and Community Teams for People with Learning Disabilities supporting people with learning disabilities whose mental health needs and behaviours present a challenge to services. Dr Kirsten Collins is a clinical psychologist working for Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS trust. Zillah Webb is a retired clinical psychologist who worked in a range of roles in the NHS in services for children and adults with intellectual disabilities (ID), including community and inpatient settings. Prior to training, she worked in various settings for people with intellectual disabilities or mental health problems. Her final NHS role was in a specialist inpatient service for individuals with ID and mental health problems.

Some individuals with intellectual disabilities experience pervasive patterns of feeling and thinking that affect the way they relate to others and understand themselves - sometimes so overwhelmingly that they find it difficult to navigate the daily challenges of life. These people can be very complex to support and few learning disability-trained staff have the skills to address their needs. This new and revised edition includes updated content to reflect developments over the last decade towards trauma-informed care, neurodiversity awareness and considering the term 'personality disorder'. Section one will focus on diagnosis, psychologically-informed approaches, how to provide positive support and facilitate collaborative working relationships between teams and services. Section two will provide practical, proven strategies for addressing specific issues such as suicidal behaviour, emotional distress and regulating impulses, and for promoting wellbeing for staff and those they care for.