Supporting the mental health of children and young people with learning disabilities during COVID-19
Intended for healthcare professionals
Evidence and practice    

Supporting the mental health of children and young people with learning disabilities during COVID-19

Jacqui Wood Clinical Psychologist, Children and Young People with Learning Disability Service, Wirral Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Birkenhead, England
Tracey Ann Hartley-Smith Learning Disability Nurse, Clinical Lead, Children and Young People with Learning Disability Service, Wirral Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Birkenhead, England

Why you should read this article:
  • To be aware of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental and physical health of children and young people with learning disabilities

  • To learn about how one CAMHS learning disabilities team supported the mental health of children and young people during the COVID-19 pandemic

  • To recognise that innovative and flexible services are required to meet the complex needs of children and young people with learning disabilities

This article explores the authors’ experiences of supporting the mental health of children and young people with learning disabilities during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The article discusses the prevalence of and risk factors for the development of mental health issues in this group. It also describes some service improvement projects developed by a child and adolescent mental health service learning disabilities team to support the mental health needs of children and young people during the COVID-19 pandemic. The article includes a case study to illustrate how a flexible and person-centred approach can support the mental health of this population.

Learning Disability Practice. doi: 10.7748/ldp.2022.e2195

Peer review

This article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software

@TraceyHartleyS2

Correspondence

jacqui.wood3@nhs.net

Conflict of interest

None declared

Wood J, Hartley-Smith TA (2022) Supporting the mental health of children and young people with learning disabilities during COVID-19. Learning Disability Practice. doi: 10.7748/ldp.2022.e2195

Published online: 13 October 2022

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