In the Netherlands, approximately 6.4% of the population has mild intellectual disabilities (MID). This group experiences mental health problems more frequently than the general population. This research demonstrates that patients with both MID and mental health problems often encounter mental health problems at a young age, experience multiple problems, and need a supportive network. Their MID is often overlooked by care professionals. General practitioners play a crucial role in the mental healthcare of this patient group but face challenges in providing and coordinating appropriate care and support. Recommendations include early identification of MID, securing continuity of care, involvement of the patient's network, integration of knowledge and experience, and domain-transcending collaborative care. Putting these into practice requires joint efforts from general practitioners, other care professionals, policymakers, and researchers.
Katrien Pouls (1978) obtained her medical degree from Maastricht University in 2002 and specialized as an intellectual disability (ID) physician. In 2019, she started her PhD research at the Department of Primary and Community Care of Radboudumc. Currently, she works as an ID physician at Ment GGZ in Velp and as a project assistant at the National Knowledge Centre for Mild Intellectual Disabilities in Utrecht.