A systematic review of training for mainstream mental health professionals working with people with intellectual disabilities and mental health needs

Purpose: Policy in the UK and many other countries states that mainstream mental health services should be accessible to people with intellectual disabilities (ID). The purpose of this paper is to systematically review training and development needs assessments and delivered training and development for professionals working in mainstream mental health services who may work with people with IQ. Design/methodology/approach: A systematic search of four databases (Web of Science; PsychInfo; PubMed; CINAHL) over the period of 2011–2023 was used. Papers were included if they described training or development delivered to, or specific training or development needs analyses of, mainstream qualified staff to support working with adults who have an ID. Findings: Two papers were found that described training and development initiatives and six that described training and development needs analysis, five of these papers originated from Australia and were part of the development of a comprehensive workforce competency framework. Research limitations/implications: Training and development approaches for mainstream mental health services to facilitate the support of people with IQ should be systematically developed and trialled. Originality/value: To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to review training and training needs analysis in this area since 2012. The review finds only a small number of papers in what is an important area for service development.