REVIEW

Psychopharmacological treatments in persons with dual diagnosis of psychiatric disorders and developmental disabilities

R Antochi¹, C Stavrakaki¹, P C Emery²

¹ Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Child and Family Psychiatric Unit, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
² School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Chrissoula Stavrakaki, Child and Family Psychiatric Unit, 311 McArthur Avenue, Suite 200, Ottawa, Ontario, K1L 8M3, Canada;
csgm91{at}rogers.com

People with developmental disabilities are at considerable risk for the development of comorbid psychiatric conditions. Psychopharmacological treatments may have a crucial role in a multidisciplinary and multimodal approach to the management of psychopathology in this population. Psychiatric illnesses that are particularly amenable include mood disorders, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHDs) and antidepressants, mood stabilisers, anxiolytics, antipsychotics, and stimulants should be considered, respectively. ADHD may also respond to ₂-agonists. Psychotropic agents such as ß-antagonists can target aggressive, self injurious, and stereotypical behaviours and opioid antagonists may be helpful in treating self injurious behaviour and stereotypy. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, newer anticonvulsants, and atypical neuroleptics are preferred when treating psychiatric disorders among people with developmental disabilities. This paper will review the major studies of pharmacological treatment of mental illness in individuals with developmental disabilities.

Keywords: psychopharmacological treatment; psychiatric disorder; developmental disability

Abbreviations: ADHD, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; SSRI, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors

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