This Thursday, February 1, the booklet “Mental Health and Intellectual Disability/2” was presented in Banyoles. It was promoted by Granés Fundació, the Healthcare Assistance Institute (IAS), and the Catalan Society of Psychiatry and Mental Health, with the collaboration of Dincat. The publication compiles the contents of the 2nd Conference on Mental Health and Intellectual Disability, focusing on good and bad practices in the care of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, which was held on May 19, 2023, at the Martí i Julià Hospital Park in Salt.
The booklet’s presentation took place at Granés Fundació’s headquarters in Banyoles and was also streamed live on the entity’s YouTube channel. The event began with speeches by Laura Masferrer, Managing Director of Granés Fundació; Claudi Camps, Director of the Mental Health and Addictions Network at the Healthcare Assistance Institute; Gemma Parramon, President of the Catalan Society of Psychiatry and Mental Health; and Israel Belchi, Head of Health and Independent Living Projects at Dincat. Subsequently, Aida Palacín, Head of the Intellectual Disability and Mental Health Service at IAS, presented the booklet’s contents, followed by interventions from various first-person witnesses: Irene Tohà and Gerard Ayats. The closing remarks were delivered by Maria Pallisera, a member of Granés Fundació’s Advisory Board. The event was hosted by journalist Berta Artigas.
View the publication in PDF format
Publication Contents
This booklet, the third issue in the ‘Diàlegs Granés’ collection, aims to be a training resource for professionals in the health, social, and healthcare sectors, as well as informative material for families, people with intellectual disabilities, and the general public, regarding good and bad practices in the healthcare and social care of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The publication compiles information on the key topics discussed at the conference, including the widespread over-prescription of medication for this group. Data indicates that almost all individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (94%) take psychiatric drugs, with an average of 3.74 drugs daily. It also includes a chapter dedicated to reducing restrictive practices in hospital settings, such as physical restraints or isolation, as well as sections highlighting good practices in the Girona regions. A notable point here is the Fàcil-IAS proposal, a project under development that aims to make the transmission of relevant information more accessible between professionals and service users during any medical procedure. It also provides information dedicated to individuals with Borderline Intellectual Functioning.
