Diagnosis Of Mental Health Problems Research Articles

Application and Progress of Intelligent Assistant Diagnosis in Mental Health Assessment System

The establishment of mental health assessment system provides a new way for the early diagnosis of mental health problems, in view of the growing population of mental diseases and problems and the uneven distribution of mental health resources. In the mental health assessment system, intelligent assistant diagnosis can assist or help psychiatrists improve their work efficiency. Intelligent assistant diagnosis provides technical support for predictive screening and auxiliary diagnosis of mental health problems. It is an intelligent diagnosis research based on big data analysis and machine learning in mental health assessment system. This article mainly reviews the application methods, the application progress in the field of mental health, as well as related technical issues and safety issues, and prospects the future research development.

A Structural Model of Organization and Clinician Factors Associated with Standardized Measure Use in a National Survey of Youth Mental Health Providers.

Standardized assessment measures are important for accurate diagnosis of mental health problems and for treatment planning and evaluation. However, little is known about youth mental health providers' typical use of standardized measures across disciplines and outside the context of evidence-based practice initiatives. A multidisciplinary national survey examined the frequency with which 674 youth mental health providers administer standardized and unstandardized measures, and the extent to which organizational (i.e., implementation climate, rigid hierarchical organizational structure) and provider (i.e., attitudes toward standardized assessment measures, highest degree, practice setting) characteristics are associated with standardized measure use. Providers used unstandardized measures far more frequently than standardized measures. Providers' perceptions (a) that standardized measures are practical or feasible, (b) that their organization supports and values evidence-based practices, and (c) that their organization has a rigid hierarchical structure predicted greater use of standardized measures. Working in schools predicted less frequent SMU, while working in higher education and other professional settings predicted more frequent SMU. Standardized measures were not routinely used in this community-based sample. A rigid hierarchical organizational structure may be conducive to more frequent administration of standardized measures, but it is unclear whether such providers actually utilize these measures for clinical decision-making. Alternative strategies to promote standardized measure use may include promoting organizational cultures that value empirical data and encouraging use of standardized measures and training providers to use pragmatic standardized measures for clinical decision making.

Using interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) to orientate well-being improvement toward freshmen in the digital era

It is undeniable that during the learning journey in colleges and universities, along with the intense pressure of academic tasks and family commitments, undergraduates can be exposed to exacerbation and diagnoses of mental health problems, which may lead to their failure in learning performance and world view perception [1, p2]. Hence, this study will conduct a survey of 141 students to find out what the most popular problem is for freshmen and apply one aspect of IPT to 10 students to examine its efficacy. From this point, the results found will offer an inducement for the forthcoming application and adjustment in orientation or academic programs at the tertiary level.

What drives unhappiness? A cross‐country analysis

AbstractWe study the sources of misery (lowest level of life satisfaction) using the European Quality of Life 2016, a cross‐sectional survey for 28 European Union countries. We use the decomposition of misery, multivariate analysis and a structural equation model to assess which are the main sources to explain misery: risk of depression (mental health), unemployment, poverty or chronic health problems (physical health). Regardless of the methodological approach followed, we found consistently that the effect of mental health on misery is the largest, exceeding poverty and unemployment. Nonetheless, stigma and low access are the main barriers for mental health attention; therefore, policy goals should proactively promote attention, efficient prevention and early diagnosis of mental health problems.

Social isolation among adolescents and its association with depression symptoms

BackgroundSocial isolation can be defined as the absence of social interactions, contacts, and relationships with family, friends, and neighbors. According to some studies, social isolation was associated with depressive symptoms. At least one out of every five teenagers suffer from a diagnosable mental health problem that impairs their function. Saudi Arabia has a significant adolescent population; however, there are few studies conducted in Saudi Arabia to assess social isolation and its psychological impact among adolescents. This research is intended to study the prevalence of social isolation among adolescents in Riyadh and its association with depression symptoms.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among 483 adolescents living in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. An online self-administered questionnaire was used, and it was composed of three sections which are sociodemographic characteristics, assessment of social isolation, and assessment of depression symptoms.ResultsThe study reported the prevalence of social isolation among adolescents was 10.14%. The prevalence of depression symptoms among adolescents was high (31.68%). There was a significant association between social isolation and symptoms of depression among the studied sample (χ2 = 12.3, p = 0.002). It was found that being a male, living with both parents, and having low income are significant predictors of social isolation among adolescents; with r2 = 0.08 and p-value < .0001. It was also found that low-income level had a more impact on social isolation among adolescents than other factors (estimate = 1.6).ConclusionsA total of 10% of adolescents in Riyadh are socially isolated. There is a significant association between social isolation and symptoms of depression among the studied adolescents. Symptoms of depression can be predicted by social isolation. RecommendationsThe Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia should work together to conduct educational intervention programs for adolescents about mental health, the importance of social interaction, and the drawbacks of social isolation. These topics should also be involved in the curriculum of secondary schools.

Psychometric Study Using Item Response Theory of an Instrument Developed for Assessment of Iranian Mental Health Problems

Background: Currently, in addition to the undeniable impact of cultural factors on mental health problems’ diagnosis and treatment methods, the use of rapid, short, and intervention-based instruments can be effective in the accurate diagnosis of mental health problems, especially in the health system of developing countries. Objectives: This study aimed to validate an instrument developed for screening patients with common mental health problems using item response theory (IRT). Methods: The study was conducted in Semnan province (with Persian ethnicity), Iran, from August 2017 to February 2018. A 101-item tool consisted of district common mental health problems (i.e., depression, anxiety, and obsession), along with a functional checklist. The development of the instrument involved a pilot study and psychometric testing. The IRT-based analysis was used as the item-reduction method to evaluate the shortened tool as an appropriate screening tool. The participants were healthy individuals and patients with depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The data were analyzed using Stata software (version 15.1). Results: The study participants were 160 individuals (58.2% male) with a mean age of 36.3 ± 11.2 years. All item impact factors were within the range of 1.8 - 5. The mean values of clarity, simplicity, relevance, and scale-level content validity index/averaging calculation method of the instrument were 96.73 ± 0.70, 97.64 ± 0.61, 98.2 ± 1.9, and 97.09 ± 0.63, respectively. Cronbach’s alpha and internal consistency coefficient were 0.88 and 0.7. Moreover, 13, 5, and 12 items were excluded using IRT from depression, anxiety, and OCD dimensions based on the threshold criteria, respectively. Conclusions: Iranian screening tools for mental health problems can provide qualified information with the least error and the most precision in appropriate early diagnosis and decrease the burden of mental health problems in the national healthcare system.

Prediction of Mental Health (Depression) Using Data Science Technique

Abstract: Early diagnosis of mental health problems helps the professionals to treat it at an earlier stage and improves the patients quality of life. Depression is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. This article provides an overview of AI and current applications in healthcare, a review of recent original research on AI specific to mental health, and a discussion of how AI can supplement clinical practice while considering its current limitations, areas needing additional research, and ethical implications regarding AI technology. So, there is an urgent need to treat basic mental health problems that prevail among children which may lead to complicated problems, if not treated at an early stage. Machine learning Techniques are currently well suited for analyzing medical data and diagnosing the problem. The attributes have been reduced by applying Feature Selection algorithms over the full attribute data set. The accuracy over the full attribute set and selected attribute set on various machine learning algorithms have been compared. However, caution is necessary in order to avoid over-interpreting preliminary results, and more work is required to bridge the gap between AI in mental health research and clinical care

COVID-19 hardships and self-reported sleep quality among American adults in March and April 2020: Results from a nationally representative panel study

ObjectiveTo analyze the association between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) hardships and self-reported sleep troubles in a nationally representative sample of adults in the United States. DesignProspective study in March and April 2020. SettingPopulation-based. ParticipantsAbout 8130 respondents who participated in the Pew Research Center's American Trends Panel in March and April of 2020. MeasurementsSelf-reported sleep troubles were defined as a report of 3 or more days per week with trouble sleeping in March and April (separately). Respondents were asked about COVID-19 stressors such as COVID-19 Threat and COVID-19-specific hardships including pay cuts/hours reductions, job loss, and childcare difficulties. Logistic regression models were fit to test associations between COVID-19 hardships and sleep troubles adjusted for sociodemographic covariates (age, gender, race/ethnicity, region, marital status, nativity, education, income, health insurance, and past diagnosis of mental health problems). ResultsReported sleep troubles increased from March (29.0%) to April (31.4%). For March, we found that COVID threat, losing a job, getting a pay cut, and difficulty with childcare were separately associated with sleep troubles. In April, COVID-19 threat and difficulty with childcare, but not losing a job or getting a pay cut were associated with sleep troubles even after additionally accounting for reported sleep troubles in March. ConclusionsWe found that COVID-19-specific stressors, especially a broad measure of COVID-19 Threat and stress over childcare, were associated with sleep troubles in March and April. These findings identified novel stressors related to COVID-19, which may affect the sleep of the American population.

Assessing the effectiveness of social network interventions for adults with a diagnosis of mental health problems: a systematic review and narrative synthesis of impact

BackgroundSocial connections have been linked to the genesis and amelioration of mental health problems and thus have potential therapeutic value.PurposeTo identify the current evidence base, assess risk of bias and synthesise findings on the effectiveness of social network interventions for people with mental health problems.MethodsElectronic databases (MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Scopus) and grey literature databases were systematically searched from inception to October 2021 using free text syntax combining synonyms for ‘mental health problems’ and ‘social network interventions’. Articles were eligible for inclusion if they reported data from randomised controlled trials on the effectiveness of interventions designed to improve social networks for adults (18+) with mental health problems. Papers were independently reviewed for inclusion with conflicts resolved through consensus. Included papers were quality assessed and data extracted and synthesized narratively. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool.ResultsNine studies randomising 2226 participants were included. Four focused on those with a diagnosis of schizophrenia or psychosis, one on major depressive disorder and four included all types of mental health diagnoses. The current evidence base is of unclear quality. However, interventions which focused on supporting social activities appear to hold the most promise for enhancing social networks. Data on cost-effectiveness and research acceptability were limited, but suggest the potential economic feasibility of and acceptability for evaluating these interventions.ConclusionThere is emerging evidence that social network interventions can be effective in improving social connections for people with mental health problems. However, further evaluations with robust methodological approaches are required to inform evidence-based recommendations for health services.

Emotion Recognition in Adults With a History of Childhood Maltreatment: A Systematic Review

Child maltreatment has many well-documented lasting effects on children. Among its consequences, it affects children’s recognition of emotions. More and more studies are recognizing the lasting effect that a history of maltreatment can have on emotion recognition. A systematic literature review was conducted to better understand this relationship. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol was used and four databases were searched, MEDLINE/PubMed, PsycINFO, EMBASE, and FRANCIS, using three cross-referenced key words: child abuse, emotion recognition, and adults. The search process identified 23 studies that met the inclusion criteria. The review highlights the wide variety of measures used to assess child maltreatment as well as the different protocols used to measure emotion recognition. The results indicate that adults with a history of childhood maltreatment show a differentiated reaction to happiness, anger, and fear. Happiness is less detected, whereas negative emotions are recognized more rapidly and at a lower intensity compared to adults not exposed to such traumatic events. Emotion recognition is also related to greater brain activation for the maltreated group. However, the results are less consistent for adults who also have a diagnosis of mental health problems. The systematic review found that maltreatment affects the perception of emotions expressed on both adult and child faces. However, more research is needed to better understand how a history of maltreatment is related to adults’ perception of children’s emotions.

Predicting Mental Health Problems with Automatic Identification of Metaphors.

Mental health problems are prevalent and an important issue in medicine. However, clinical diagnosis of mental health problems is costly, time-consuming, and often significantly delayed, which highlights the need for novel methods to identify them. Previous psycholinguistic and psychiatry research has suggested that the use of metaphors in texts is linked to the mental health status of the authors. In this paper, we propose a method for automatically detecting metaphors in texts to predict various mental health problems, specifically anxiety, depression, inferiority, sensitivity, social phobias, and obsession. We perform experiments on a composition dataset collected from second-language students and on the eRisk2017 dataset collected from Social Media. The experimental results show that our approach can help predict mental health problems in authors of written texts, and our algorithm performs better than other state-of-the-art methods. In addition, we report that the use of metaphors even in nonnative languages can be indicative of various mental health problems.

An associations of possible genetic risk markers for Internet addiction with childhood trauma experience and personality traits in young adults : preliminary results

To study was to test an associations of the preliminary genetic risk markers for Internet addiction (IA) with clinical, psychological and personality characteristics, taking into account the childhood traumatic experience, in 44 IA persons compared with 120 healthy individuals. The study included 164 participants: 44 individuals with IZ (group IZ), male and female, aged 16 to 30 years in the absence of diagnoses of mental health problems. diseases from rubrics F00-09 and F20-29 (ICD-10) and 120 healthy (control group). We have found an associations of the preliminary IA genetic risk markers with some personality traits and behavioral characteristics (TCI-125, TIPI) and with the childhood trauma experience (ACE IQ, CTQ), both for healthy individuals and to a greater extent for IA individuals, that may suggests the possible effects of the gene-environment interaction on a risk of developing IA. The data obtained on the structure of associations between IA genetic risk markers and individual psychological characteristics under the significant influence of the childhood trauma experience allow us to proceed with the construction of models for IA risk prediction taking into account the "gene - environment" interactions.

Yoga as an intervention for older peoples mental health: a literature review

Purpose Yoga practice has become increasingly popular around the world for the benefits it can bring for physical and mental health. However, little research has been done regarding the use of yoga as a therapy for elderly people with mental health problems. This literature review will therefore attempt to answer the questions: what research has been done to look into the use of yoga as therapy for elderly people with a diagnosis of mental health problems, what does this research show and what future directions may this work take in the future. Design/methodology/approach The review describes four research studies that have been done looking at the use of yoga as an intervention in older people with diagnosed mental health problems and one upcoming larger study. Findings Therefore, it is shown that the research in this area is so far still in its infancy, but that yoga has potential to be a useful potential treatment for older people with mental health problems. Originality/value As with all research into treatments for mental health problems, involvement of patients and their carers will be vital to ensure that the direction of the research is one that will be valuable, and that the traditions of yoga that have been of so much benefit to so many can be used to help a group of people who are often vulnerable and who sometimes do not receive all the treatment that they deserve.

Primary-school-based art therapy: A mixed methods comparison study on children’s classroom learning

ABSTRACT Background: In the UK an estimated one in ten primary school pupils have diagnosable mental health problems which may impact their education. Aims/context: This study examined a primary-school-based art therapy service for children experiencing social, emotional and mental health difficulties to assess the intervention’s acceptability and possible changes in classroom learning. Methods: A mixed methods before-and-after study was conducted with 25 children in art therapy and a comparison group of 25 children per subject for reading, writing and maths attainment. A focus group with 10 teachers and interviews with 37 children were used to examine perceptions of art therapy and classroom learning. Results: Academic attainment was similar between the art therapy and comparison children. Both groups’ learning rate resembled that of national minimum expectations. Children and teachers perceived art therapy to be helpful for engagement with classroom learning, relationships with teachers and peers, and learning time. Conclusions: Further research is needed to develop this primary-school-based art therapy programme, assess transferability, and examine wider educational outcomes. Implications for practice: Primary-school-based art therapy may be particularly helpful when it is perceived as: a safe place, sessions being social and fun, facilitates coping strategies, expressing, thinking and talking, as well as making artwork. Plain-language summary In the UK an estimated one in ten primary school pupils suffer from mental health problems, and this can affect their educational attainment. Thus, it is important that therapies help children to gain positive outcomes both in mental health and educationally. We looked at one art therapy service, which specifically focuses on helping children to understand their own and others’ minds (metallization), within one primary school in London. Thirty-seven children referred to art therapy with social, emotional and mental health difficulties were included. Ten class teachers participated. The aims were to see if the children, and their teachers, found the approach acceptable and if there were any indications of changes in classroom learning. There were no differences in reading, writing and maths scores between children attending art therapy and comparison children receiving usual education support. However, all the children learned at the same rate as the national minimum expectation. Art therapy may have prevented the increasing educational attainment gap that social, emotional and mental health difficulties can bring. We held a focus group with the class teachers and interviewed the children and both reported experiencing art therapy as helpful for engagement with classroom learning, relationships with teachers and peers, and learning time. Specific aspects of art therapy which they considered helpful were: art therapy being a safe place; learning coping strategies; expressing, thinking and talking in art therapy; making artwork; and sessions being social and fun. The teachers also appreciated: advocating and sharing information; psychoeducation and collaborative work; reflecting on actions; encouraging independence; framing school as a positive place with trusted adults; working with transitions and endings. We recommend further research, including more art therapists, schools, teachers, parents and children, to further develop and assess this approach to art therapy in primary schools.

Mental health consequences during the initial stage of the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) in Spain

The pandemic caused by Covid-19 has been an unprecedented social and health emergency worldwide. This is the first study in the scientific literature reporting the psychological impact of the Covid-19 outbreak in a sample of the Spanish population. A cross-sectional study was conducted through an online survey of 3480 people. The presence of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was evaluated with screening tests from 14 March. Sociodemographic and Covid-19-related data was collected. Additionally, spiritual well-being, loneliness, social support, discrimination and sense of belonging were assessed. Descriptive analyses were carried out and linear regression models compiled. The 18.7% of the sample revealed depressive, 21.6% anxiety and 15.8% PTSD symptoms. Being in the older age group, having economic stability and the belief that adequate information had been provided about the pandemic were negatively related to depression, anxiety and PTSD. However, female gender, previous diagnoses of mental health problems or neurological disorders, having symptoms associated with the virus, or those with a close relative infected were associated with greater symptomatology in all three variables. Predictive models revealed that the greatest protector for symptomatology was spiritual well-being, while loneliness was the strongest predictor of depression, anxiety and PTSD. The impact on our mental health caused by the pandemic and the measures adopted during the first weeks to deal with it are evident. In addition, it is possible to identify the need of greater psychological support in general and in certain particularly vulnerable groups.

Provider Contributions to Disparities in Mental Health Care.

Disparities in diagnosis of mental health problems and in access to treatment among racial-ethnic groups are apparent across different behavioral conditions, particularly in the quality of treatment for depression. This study aimed to determine how much disparities differ across providers. Bayesian mixed-effects models were used to estimate whether disparities in patient adherence to antidepressant medication (N=331,776) or psychotherapy (N=275,095) were associated with specific providers. Models also tested whether providers who achieved greater adherence to treatment, on average, among non-Hispanic white patients than among patients from racial-ethnic minority groups attained lower disparities and whether the percentage of patients from racial-ethnic minority groups in a provider caseload was associated with disparities. Disparities in adherence to both antidepressant medication and psychotherapy were associated with the provider. Provider performance with non-Hispanic white patients was negatively correlated with provider-specific disparities in adherence to psychotherapy but not to antidepressants. A higher proportion of patients from racial-ethnic minority groups in a provider's caseload was associated with lower adherence among non-Hispanic white patients, lower disparities in adherence to psychotherapy, and greater disparities in adherence to antidepressant medication. Adherence to depression treatment among a provider's patients from racial-ethnic minority groups was related to adherence among that provider's non-Hispanic white patients, but evidence also suggested provider-specific disparities. Efforts among providers to decrease disparities might focus on improving the general skill of providers who treat more patients from racial-ethnic minority groups as well as offering culturally based training to providers with notable disparities.

Admission and discharge criteria for adolescents requiring inpatient or residential mental health care: a scoping review.

This scoping review sought to locate and describe criteria relating to admission to and discharge from inpatient mental health care for adolescents aged 11 to 19 years in the literature. In the United Kingdom (UK) and internationally, it is estimated that one in 10 children and adolescents has a diagnosable mental health problem. Children and adolescents with the highest levels of need are cared for in hospital, but there is a high demand for beds and a general lack of agreement regarding the criteria for admission to, and discharge from, such units. We considered research studies that focused on criteria for admission to and discharge from inpatient mental healthcare units for adolescents aged 11 to 19 years. We included all quantitative and qualitative research designs and text and opinion papers. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, ERIC, British Nursing Index, Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, OpenGrey, EThOS and websites of professional organizations for English language citations from 2009 to February 2018. Potentially relevant citations were retrieved in full and their citation details imported into the JBI System for the Unified Management, Assessment and Review of Information. Full texts of selected citations were assessed in detail against the inclusion criteria by two independent reviewers. Findings were extracted directly into tables accompanied by a narrative summary relating to the review objectives. Thirty-five citations were included: quantitative research studies (n = 18), qualitative research studies (n = 1), and textual and opinion publications (n = 16). Of the quantitative research studies, 16 used a retrospective cohort design using case note reviews and two were prospective cohort studies. The qualitative study used interviews. The research studies were conducted in nine countries: USA (n = 7), UK (n = 3), New Zealand (n = 2), Israel (n = 2), Canada (n = 1), Norway (n = 1), Ireland (n = 1), Greece (n = 1) and Turkey (n = 1). The 16 textual and opinion publications included book chapters (n = 3), reviews (n = 3), policy and guidance documents (n = 3), reports (n = 3) and service specifications (n = 4). The majority of these were published in the UK (n = 10), with the remainder published in Ireland (n = 2), Australia (n = 2), and USA (n = 2). Research was conducted across a variety of settings including child and adolescent mental health service inpatient and outpatient units, emergency departments and adult psychiatric units. Length of stay, where recorded, ranged from < 1 day to 351 days. Several categories emerged from the data: type of admission process, referral or point of access, reasons for admission to inpatient mental health care, assessment processes, criteria for discharge and reasons for non-admission. There is little evidence identifying which behavioral or symptomatic indicators suggest that admission is required, beyond retrospective identification of diagnoses attributed to adolescents who become inpatients. The threshold of severity of risk or need is not currently articulated. No studies were identified that drew on the perspectives of adolescents and their families or carers regarding criteria warranting admission to inpatient mental health care, which indicates an important area for future investigation.

The earlier identification of mental health problems in children and young people in primary care using their linked GP-hospital records

BackgroundAttention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder affecting 3–5% of the population of children and young people (CYP). CYP with mental health problems report long delays in the diagnosis of mental health problems. ADHD is recognised in just under 1% of children and young people in English primary care and qualitative work suggests that parents (carers) report to their GPs prior to obtaining a diagnosis of ADHD but a detailed knowledge of reasons for presenting to health care is lacking.AimTo ascertain the reasons for attendance to health care for CYP with compared to CYP without ADHD.MethodUsing the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) with linked Hospital Episodes Statistics (HES) data, all medical records for CYP with ADHD were extracted. Up to five CYP without ADHD were selected at random matched by age, sex, and GP practice. All GP and hospital medical records were extracted and inspected in the 2 years prior to the date of diagnosis of ADHD in the index case.ResultsThere were 8135 CYP with ADHD and 40 614 CYP without ADHD. Medical records from GP, hospital diagnosis codes, and operative procedure codes have been extracted. A description of the reasons for attendance to healthcare in the 2 years prior to diagnosis (index date) will be presented at the conference.ConclusionA detailed knowledge of reasons for attendance to healthcare for CYP with versus CYP without CYP will assist GPs, paediatrics, educationalists, and CYP’s parents (carers) may help to identify ADHD earlier than is currently possible.

Should school nurses embrace new therapeutic approaches to enhancing emotional wellbeing?

Only 1 in 4 young people under 18 with a diagnosable mental health problem receives treatment, with the others considered not to need help after undergoing triage. School nurses have a window of opportunity to make a real difference to the crisis in teenage mental health.

Awareness and accessibility of the Dutch mental health care system for people with borderline intellectual functioning or mild intellectual disabilities

PurposeIn The Netherlands, curative mental health care and supportive care for people with an intellectual disability (ID) are organised in separate domains. Prevalence of mental health problems is known to be high among people with borderline intellectual functioning (BIF) or mild intellectual disabilities (MID). By contrast, according to recent findings, prevalence of BIF and MID is high among patients in mental health care (17.5–58 per cent). In The Netherlands, a new quality standard of care (QSOC) on mental health care for people with BIF or MID is developed. It is designed to supplement existing guidelines on mental health care so that they can be used appropriately in people with BIF or MID and meant for use in both mental health care organisations (MHCO) as in organisations for ID care. To a large extent, the QSOC should describe the existing practice. This paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approachTo assess the existing practice in current mental health care for people with BIF or MID in The Netherlands, the authors examined the views and accessibility of MHCO on the mental health care for patients with and IQ<85. In addition, the authors reviewed published criteria for in- and exclusion of all 39 top clinical mental health care departments for criteria on BIF or (mild) ID.FindingsThe authors found there is a clear awareness of the high prevalence of BIF and MID among large Dutch MHCO. Dutch MHCO estimate the prevalence of BIF and MID among their patients to be around 30 per cent. Nonetheless, most MCHO surveyed (76 per cent) indicated they do not routinely estimate or measure IQ among their patients and 53 per cent of MHCO indicated not having knowledge and expertise on the dual diagnoses of mental health problems and BIF or MID. Fitting in with the new QSOC most of the MHCO (59 per cent) agreed on the statement in the survey that professionals should be able to treat patients with BIF or ID and all but one of the MHCO stated to have some form of collaboration with an institute for ID care.Originality/valueThe authors concluded there is a clear awareness of the high prevalence of BIF and MID among large Dutch MHCO. The new QSOC on mental health care for people with BIF or MID can help improve accessibility and quality of mental health care for these patients.