Professional training for those working with people with intellectual disabilities and mental health problems

• Many, and in some countries most, health care professionals receive little training in the assessment, treatment and management of mental health problems in people with ID. • In the UK, ID is a compulsory component of the training of psychiatrists. This is not the case in the USA, Canada, Australia and Austria. • ID is included in some training programmes for psychologists, but clinical experience in the field is less available, is optional and usually post-qualifications. • Primary car physicians in all the countries reviewed receive little or no exposure to the health care needs of people with ID, including mental health, at both an undergraduate and postgraduate level. • Positive developments in training were evident in all the countries reviewed. these often are linked to charismatic individuals who pioneer the initiatives. • An infrastructure is necessary to support training, including national standards of care for people with ID and mental health problems, to drive accreditation and certification of courses, together with secure career paths