background Intellectually disabled children have a high risk of developing psychiatric disorders. Until recently, this comorbidity was not recognised and remained undiagnosed and untreated.
aim To give an overview of the prevalence, etiology, clinical symptoms, diagnostic assessment and treatment of psychiatric disorders in intellectually disabled children.
method Research of the scientific literature through PubMed and books.
results There is an increased prevalence of psychiatric disorders in intellectually disabled children. The etiology is multifactorial and the clinical symptoms are atypical. Diagnosis is based on a multitude of factors and many types of assessment. The latter include the assessment of emotional and behavioral problems, cognitive functioning, medical and genetic background and the role played by environmental factors. Most psychiatric disorders are treated with psychopharmacological medication and psychotherapy.
conclusion The diagnosis and treatment of the psychiatric problems in intellectually disabled children requires specific expertise, taking into account the complex clinical image inherent to children with impaired cognitive and verbal possibilities.