Israeli Psychiatrists Report on Their Ability to Care for Individuals with Intellectual Disability and Psychiatric Disorders

Background: The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities enshrines the right of people with intellectual disability to optimal mental health services. However, the literature suggests that psychiatrists' ability to meet such a standard is questionable. Psychiatrists' self-assessment regarding their training, knowledge and skills in working with this population was examined, as well as the availability of continuous education resources. Methods: A questionnaire was completed by 256 psychiatrists working within the public sector in Israel. Results: Training in the field was very low; average level of self-perceived knowledge and skills was found to be slightly below the midpoint of the scale, while actual knowledge, as assessed through a case vignette, was found to be low for all psychiatrists, in particular for general psychiatrists. Discussion: Results point to an urgent need to increase the level of knowledge and skills of psychiatrists and improve the level of services offered to people with intellectual disabilities and mental health problems. Various options for achieving this are presented.