People with intellectual disability often have health needs that go unrecognised and untreated; this may be because of difficulties in communication, diagnostic overshadowing, discrimination or indifference. There is concern that public health measures aimed at reducing the main health killers in the population will not address these issues for people with intellectual disability and may preferentially widen the inequality that already exists. This book is a comprehensive and systematic review of physical and mental health co-morbidities in people with intellectual disability. Such an evidence base is vital in shaping public health policy, healthcare commissioning and the development of more effective healthcare systems, as well as supporting better understanding and practice at an individual clinical level. This is essential reading for policy makers and commissioners of services, as well as individual practitioners across mainstream and specialist health and social care, in considering not only service developments but practice at the coalface.

'There are many useful chapters with much valuable information contained within. I would recommend this book to those who work in the field of ID as a must have.'

Source: Journal of Intellectual Disability Research

'This book … adds the further dimension of an international perspective and detailed reviews of the evidence around major diseases and organ systems. … easy to go from the text to the source if you wish. … a readable book despite the complex nature of the topics covered … a timely publication for the UK … should have a place on the shelves of the new Public Health Bodies and General Practitioner Consortia.'

Source: Tizard Learning Disability Review