Limited research has explored the associations between developmental disabilities and symptoms of anxiety and depression among U.S. children during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This study investigates the associations between developmental disabilities and symptoms of anxiety and depression among U.S. children and examines whether these associations differ by gender.

The analysis included 6092 children aged 5-17 from the 2021 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). Key risk factors for anxiety and depression symptoms included attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), intellectual disability (ID), learning disability (LD), and developmental delay (DD). Weighted multivariable logistic regression (MLR) was conducted to evaluate associations with anxiety and depression symptoms.

The overall prevalence of anxiety was 14.8 % (12.8 % for males and 17.0 % for females), while depression prevalence was 5.1 % (4.2 % for males; and 6.0 % for females). Children with developmental disabilities had significantly higher prevalence rates of anxiety and depression compared to their peers without such conditions (p < 0.05). MLR analysis revealed that being female and having a history of ADHD, ASD, LD, and DD were associated with increased odds of both anxiety and depression (p < 0.05). ID was associated with increased odds of anxiety but not depression. COVID-19 was not significantly associated with either anxiety or depression. Furthermore, the associations of ASD, LD, ID, and DD with anxiety and depression varied by gender.

Developmental disabilities were significantly associated with symptoms of anxiety and depression among U.S. children in 2021, with notable gender differences. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating gender-sensitive approaches in designing effective prevention and intervention strategies.

No research has yet determined exactly what accommodation needs are unmet for disabled students and how those needs being unmet predict psychosocial outcomes many years later.

To address this research gap, we seek to explore the potentially long-term associations of unmet educational accommodation needs and demographic characteristics with the mental health of adults with disabilities (n = 409).

To explore these associations, we use modern the machine learning technique of Random Forest feature importance.

While 52.3 % of the sample reported having had one or more unmet accommodation needs while going to school, 57.2 % displayed current clinically elevated symptoms of depression and 48.4 % clinically elevated symptoms of anxiety. The machine learning approaches had 65.9 % and 60.0 % accuracy in correctly classifying clinically elevated depression and anxiety symptoms, respectively. For the models predicting clinically elevated depression symptoms using mean decrease in impurity (MDI) and permutation importance, unmet accommodation needs ranked fifth and fourth, respectively, in feature importance after age, disability severity, high school GPA, and individual income (for MDI). For the MDI model predicting clinically elevated anxiety symptoms, unmet academic accommodation ranked third in feature importance behind disability severity and age, while for permutation importance, unmet academic accommodation need ranked fourth behind age, urbanicity, and disability severity.

Unmet academic accommodations may result in reduced psychological adjustment and quality of life potentially many years into adulthood.

Adults with rare disorders experience multiple psychosocial risk factors beyond their medical symptoms, including impaired quality of life, social isolation, loneliness, and mental health problems. These risk factors were amplified during the COVID-19 pandemic, when health care appointments and social/vocational activities were reduced or cancelled. There is a lack of longitudinal data tracking this population over time, making the long term consequences uncertain.

We conducted a monthly survey of 58 adults aged between 19 and 71 years (M = 45.1 years, SD = 12.6) with rare disorders across 13 months during the COVID-19 pandemic in Norway. We measured symptoms of anxiety and depression with the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-5. Covid fear was measured with the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale. We examined the mental health and covid fear trajectories across the 13 months with multi-level growth curve models with repeated measures at Level 1 and individuals at Level 2. To account for differences in governmental restrictions throughout the 13 months, we used the stringency index from The Oxford Covid-19 Government Response Tracker.

The growth models indicated stable levels of anxiety and depression over 13 months that were elevated compared to existing population data and were unpredicted by pandemic restrictions. The level of covid fear was significantly associated with the levels of anxious and depressive symptoms.

The current study found elevated and stable trajectories of mental health symptoms throughout the pandemic for persons with rare disorders. This highlights the necessity of investigating the long-lasting influence of the pandemic on mental health among individuals with rare disorders.

The purpose was to design and validate a battery of physical tests, called EFEPD-1.0, adapted to assess functionality in people with disabilities. In addition, we sought to analyze the validity and reliability of this battery both for the total group and differentiated by sex. A total of 43 adults with disabilities (32 women and 11 men) participated (57.11 ± 10.12 years). The battery was composed of five blocks of functionality: neuromuscular, combined actions, acceleration, balance, and cardiovascular. The neuromuscular functionality was measured by the vertical and horizontal jump test using the optical system (Opto Jump Next®, Microgate, Bolzano, Italy) as well as the Hand Grip (HG) test using a (5030J1, Jamar®, Sammons Preston, Inc, Nottinghamshire, UK) hand dynamometer. The combined actions and balance functionality were assessed with the Time Up and Go (TUG) test, the 30 s Chair Stand (30CTS) test, and the One-Leg Stance (OLS) test measured by a manual stopwatch (HS-80TW-1EF, Casio®, Tokyo, Japan). The acceleration functionality was evaluated through 20 m sprints and the 505 change of direction (COD505) test, using the (Microgate, Witty®, Bolzano, Italy) photocell system. The cardiovascular functionality was evaluated with the Six-Minute Walking Test (6MWT), where heart rate was monitored using the (Polar Team Sport System®, Polar Electro Oy, Kempele, Finland), and additional walking mechanics were recorded with Stryd (Stryd Everest 12 Firmware 1.18 Software 3, Stryd Inc., Boulder, CO, USA). The results showed that the intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) ranged from moderate to almost perfect (ICC = 0.65-0.98) between test repetitions. Some tests could significantly differentiate (p < 0.05) men and women, highlighting better neuromuscular capacity in men and better balance in women. The correlations between tests showed significant convergent validity. The Evaluation of Functionality in the Disabled Population (EFEPD-1.0) battery not only consistently measures functional capacities in people with disabilities, but it can also discriminate between different subgroups within this population.

Diagnosis of intellectual disability (ID) may overshadow, or co-occur with, hearing impairment, but screening is frequently inaccessible due to various factors that prevent successful test execution. There is a pressing need for easily, locally administered hearing tests. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of the digit-in-noise (DIN) test, as well as three variations of it, as a hearing screening for individuals with mild to moderate ID. Additionally, we explored correlations between participant characteristics and cognitive-linguistic abilities, with DIN test performance.

Forty participants with ID aged 21-40 were recruited from two supported employment centres, 31 of whom met full inclusion criteria. Controls were 20 typically developed (TD) participants, aged 21-40. The original DIN test (DIN(3)) was administered, and those unable to recall the three digits were administered a version with two digits (DIN(2)). Participants unable to successfully complete DIN(3) or DIN(2) were administered versions with added visual and verbal performance feedback.

A significant difference in speech receptive threshold in noise (SRTn) between DIN(2) and DIN(3) was only present for the ID group. A moderate negative relationship between DIN(2) SRTn and vocabulary and a positive relationship with age was found for the ID group; no correlation was found with digit span or matrices. The DIN(2) SRTn was correlated with the average hearing level of pure tones measured by audiometry.

Our findings highlight the DIN(2) as the most effective version, as its signal-to-noise ratio (SRTn) threshold was closest to the typically developed (TD) control group. This study is the first step towards developing a hearing screening test for individuals with ID who are at elevated risk of impairment and who have insufficient evaluation access. Our findings suggest that adults with mild to moderate ID can sufficiently perform the adapted DIN(2) as a hearing screening test.

Adults with intellectual disability experience increased rates of mental health disorders and adverse mental health outcomes.

Explore childhood risk factors associated with adverse mental health outcomes during adulthood as defined by high cost of care, use of psychotropic medication without a severe mental illness and psychiatric hospital admissions.

Data on 137 adults with intellectual disability were collected through an intellectual disability community service in an inner London borough. Childhood modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors were extracted from records to map onto variables identified as potential risk factors. Logistic and linear regression models were employed to analyse their associations with adverse outcomes.

We showed that the co-occurrence of intellectual disability with autism spectrum disorder and/or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were associated with psychotropic medication use and high-cost care packages. However, when challenging behaviour during childhood was added, ADHD and autism spectrum disorder were no longer significant and challenging behaviour better explained medication prescribing and higher cost care. In addition, the severity of intellectual disability was associated with higher cost care packages. Ethnicity (Black and mixed) also predicted higher cost of care.

Challenging behaviour during childhood emerged as a critical variable affecting outcomes in young adulthood and mediated the association between adult adverse mental health outcomes and co-occurring neurodevelopmental conditions, that is, ADHD and autism. These findings emphasise the need for effective early intervention strategies to address challenging behaviour during childhood. Such interventions for challenging behaviour will need to take into consideration autism and ADHD.

Background: Young people with an Intellectual and Developmental Disability (IDD) often face ineffective and exclusionary post-school transition practices, leading to poor mental health in early adulthood.Objective: This scoping review aimed to map existing literature on mental health for young people with IDD during the post-school transition period including how IDD and mental health are characterised in this context and the extent to which community members with lived experience are included in the design and/or production of research.Methods: In collaboration with a co-researcher, we used the JBI framework and PRISMA guidelines in accordance with a published protocol. A tiered search was conducted in PsycINFO, Medline, ERIC, Web of Science, and Family and Society Studies Worldwide.Findings: The search identified 28 articles that met the inclusion criteria. Articles were published between 2011 and 2023 and conducted across four countries. Thirteen applied a quantitative study design, eight were qualitative, three used a mixed-methods design, and the remaining were reviews. Most articles focused on autism. The majority discussed mental health in terms of its impact on transitioning from school or as a co-occurring condition.Conclusions: There is a growing body of literature highlighting the challenges young people with disabilities face when transitioning from high school. However, there is a notable gap in the representation of diverse IDD populations and mental health emerged variably, often as an incidental finding rather than a primary focus.

This systematic review aims to explore virtual reality (VR) applications for rehabilitation purposes among people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), identify their effects on rehabilitation outcomes, explore themes to consider in VR intervention design, and provide guidance for designers and researchers in creating therapeutic environments using VR technology.

VR has gained increasing attention in healthcare settings to assist in achieving rehabilitation goals for people with IDD. VR is particularly advantageous since it simulates the real world while providing controllable, safe, and versatile environments. It is necessary to expand the current body of knowledge on VR intervention's outcomes by synthesizing further information on VR application characteristics as well as identifying design considerations regarding feasibility, usability, safety, and other aspects that will benefit future VR intervention design and research.

The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framed the current review. Multiple databases were searched to identify studies published between 2001 and 2023. The review qualitatively organized VR environment design considerations according to three themes: feasibility, usability, and safety.

This review included 27 articles and included 868 participants. The overall findings indicated that VR interventions are promising in enhancing rehabilitation outcomes among people with IDD, such as physical, cognitive, emotional, and functional independence domains.

This review provides design recommendations to create effective, usable, and safe VR interventions for individuals with IDD. The suggested design implications should be applied with the awareness that VR is a relatively emerging technology with rapidly evolving features.

Stressful life events are events that do not fulfil the A criterion of PTSD in the DSM-5(TR) but are perceived as negative by the person. There is an ongoing debate about the usefulness of the A criterion as a gate criterion for PTSD, and especially regarding which events qualify as traumatic or stressful life events. This debate is particularly important for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) or borderline intellectual functioning (BIF), as they seem to be more likely to experience traumatic and stressful life events than their peers without ID-BIF and appear to be more susceptible to the disruptive effects of these events. As a result, people with ID-BIF are more likely to develop mental health and behavioural problems. There is insufficient knowledge about how the relationship between stressful life events and PTSD symptoms should be interpreted, how traumatic and stressful life events are defined and distinguished in people with ID, and whether the A criterion should be broadened for individuals with ID-BIF. The aim of this scoping review was to understand stressful life events and their relationship with PTSD symptoms, other mental health and/or behavioural problems in individuals with ID-BIF.

The scoping review was conducted in accordance with the JBI methodology for scoping reviews and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR).

Thirty-eight studies were included. Five studies focused on stressful life events and PTSD symptoms. The other studies examined associations between stressful life events and other mental health and/or behavioural problems. Most of the studies did not clearly differentiate between stressful and traumatic events according to the A criterion of PTSD in the DSM-IV (TR) or DSM-5(TR). Of the six studies in which stressful life events were specified and could be distinguished from traumatic events, one found a positive association between PTSD symptoms and stressful life events and five showed weak to strong positive associations with other mental health and/or behavioural problems.

PTSD symptoms following stressful life events in individuals with ID-BIF are underrepresented in the literature. The lack of a clear definition of stressful life events leads to a gap in the knowledge on whether and how stressful life events may lead to PTSD symptoms, other mental health and/or behavioural problems in individuals with ID-BIF. Therefore, no general conclusions or recommendations can be made regarding the appropriateness of the PTSD A criterion for individuals with ID-BIF. Further research is needed to establish the role of stressful life events in relation to PTSD symptoms and to inform the assessment and effective treatment in people with ID-BIF, as expert clinical experience studies suggest that broadening the PTSD A criterion should be considered for people with ID-BIF.

The construct of belonging has been studied in many marginalised student groups yet has been understudied among students with intellectual disability. The present study used a large dataset from the United States to quantitatively investigate the construct of belonging among 7th to 12th grade students with the educational classification of "intellectual disability" (n = 670) who responded to a set of questions related to belonging in a nationally representative survey. The purpose of the study was twofold: (1) to identify the latent factors of belonging among students with intellectual disability to create a preliminary model and (2) use the preliminary model to compare belonging among students with intellectual disability with different demographic factors (e.g., race, sex, English proficiency). Exploratory factor analysis revealed a four-factor model of belonging and confirmatory factor analysis suggested the model was a good fit for the data, χ 2 = 622.81, p < .001, RMSEA = .049, CFI = 0.879, TLI = 0.868. The study has implications for future avenues of research, including measurement development, exploring the developmental pathway of belonging, and the consequences of not belonging.

The current study examines how a virtual wellness intervention may improve health outcomes in adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Thirty-six adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities participated in the wellness intervention. Outcome measures related to satisfaction, mental health, wellbeing, health behaviours and overall health were completed at three time points (pre, post and follow-up). Participants reported high levels of satisfaction and had significant improvements in outcomes related to mental health and wellbeing. Changes in sleep, sedentary behaviour and overall health were not reported, though qualitative evidence suggests that some changes were implemented. The study provides evidence to support the use of virtual interventions to address health concerns in individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Autistic adults and those with other developmental disabilities (DD) have increased depressive symptoms and decreased activity engagement when compared to those with no DD. Few studies explore activities related to depressive symptoms in autistic people and those with other DD during adolescence.

The objectives of this analysis were to describe depressive symptoms and activity engagement among autistic adolescents and those with other DD and no DD and explore types of activities associated with depressive symptoms, stratified by study group.

Parents of adolescents completed a multi-site case-control study of autism and other DD when their child was 2-5 years of age and a follow-up survey when their child was 12-16 years of age. Questions asked about the adolescent's current diagnoses, depressive symptoms (i.e., diagnosis, medication use, or symptoms), and engagement in club, social, sport, vocational, volunteer, and other organized activities.

Autistic adolescents (N = 238) and those with other DD (N = 222) were significantly more likely to have depressive symptoms than adolescents with no DD (N = 406), (31.9 %, 30.6 %, and 15.0 % respectively). Lower percentages of autistic adolescents participated in activities than peers with other DD, who had lower percentages than peers with no DD. Participation in sports was associated with lower likelihood of depressive symptoms in all groups.

Autistic adolescents and those with other DD are at increased risk for depressive symptoms and reduced activity engagement. Participation in sports may be especially important for adolescent mental health regardless of disability status. Implications for public health education and intervention are discussed.

People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) often have higher rates of comorbid mental health conditions compared to the general population. Yet, many people with IDD also have unmet needs for mental and behavioral health services. The aim of this study was to examine how states provided mental and behavior health, and crisis services to people with IDD in their Home- and Community-Based Services (HCBS) programs, the largest funding mechanism for Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) for people with IDD in the United States. We analyzed fiscal year (2021) Medicaid HCBS waivers for people with IDD from across the United States to examine if and how they provided mental and behavior health, and crisis services. States projected spending $968.9 million for mental and behavior health, and crisis services for 190,299 people with IDD. Applied behavior analysis services were provided at greater rates than positive behavior supports and other forms of behavior interventions. While most states provided mental and behavior health, and crisis services in their waivers, there were vast inconsistencies in how they did so, across states, waivers, and services. HCBS are a crucial safety net to ensure people with IDD, especially those who also have mental health disabilities, can live and thrive in their communities.

Families cannot easily identify and cope with the changing health problems and needs of children transitioning into adulthood. This pilot randomized controlled study aims to improve the family's quality of life and reduce mothers' perceived stress levels by implementing an educational program (Transition to Adulthood Training Program - TATP). A total of 33 mothers of children with intellectual disabilities were randomly assigned to the groups. Data were collected using the Personal Information Form, Beach Center Family Quality of Life (BCFQOL), and Perceived Stress Scale. The intervention group showed a significant increase in the BCFQOL mean score rather than the control group (p<.001). There was a significant decrease in the perceived stress scores of the mothers in the intervention group after the TATP training sessions (p<0.05). The TATP intervention not only increased the quality of family life for these mothers but also led to a reduction in their perceived stress levels.

Individuals with disabilities are more vulnerable to depression development than the general population. This study sought to map the evidence on current knowledge of depression, intervention strategies, and assessment tools among people with disabilities. This review was conducted following Arksey and O'Malley's scoping review methodology framework. An electronic search was performed on four English databases: PubMed, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, and Web of Science. The original search returned 1802 results, with 1,116 from Web of Science, 626 from PubMed, 25 from Cochrane, and 35 from PsycINFO. After removing duplicates, 786 articles were chosen for the title and abstract screening processes. Finally, 112 full-text publications were deemed eligible, with 41 papers being included in this scoping review for analysis. A large proportion (32; 78.04%) of the studies chosen were cross-sectional, 14 (34.14%) of them reported general disability, 12 (29.26%) used a patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9) to measure depression, and 14 (34.14%) had interventions, including cognitive behavioral therapy, psychological counseling, social support, and physical activity. All interventions successfully reduced the severity of the depression. Cognitive behavioral therapies and psychological counseling were widely used interventions that had a significant impact on reducing depression. More randomized controlled trials are required, and they should focus on individuals with specific disabilities to provide disability-specific care that can improve the quality of life for disabled individuals.

NHS England recommends the commissioning of intensive support teams (ISTs) to provide effective support to people with intellectual disability (ID) when in crisis. However, there is a paucity of evidence regarding how these services should be organised. This exploratory secondary analysis of data from the IST-ID study aimed to investigate IST characteristics that relate to clinical outcomes. The primary outcome was mean change in the total score on the Aberrant Behavior Checklist and its subscales.

A measure of mental illness severity was the only variable associated with our primary outcome of reduction in challenging behaviour. Accommodation type, affective status and gender were associated with the subdomains of irritability, hyperactivity and lethargy in unadjusted and adjusted analyses.

Our findings indicate that variation in clinical outcomes is influenced by individual rather than organisational factors. Further research on the theoretical fidelity of the IST-ID model is needed.

Individuals with intellectual disability (ID) are at higher risk of experiencing difficulties with anxiety than the general population. However, there are major barriers for individuals to receive appropriate services. There is a growing understanding of the importance of developing appropriate psychological interventions for this group. The objective of the current review was to systematically evaluate the findings of studies investigating the effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for individuals with ID and anxiety. Another aim was to explore which adaptions to CBT and treatment components were currently being utilised within the field.

The electronic databases of CINAHL, EMBASE, Medline, PsycINFO, Psychology and Behavioural Sciences Collection and Scopus were searched to identify relevant studies. The methodological quality of these studies was assessed using established quality assessment tools by the National Institutes of Health for pre and post studies and case series.

Nine studies were included in this systematic review, all of which reported improvements in anxiety severity for some participants (25%-100%; N = 60) following CBT. Only three studies reported moderate effect sizes for CBT interventions on anxiety for individuals with ID.

There is emerging literature supporting the effectiveness of CBT for individuals with mild ID. Findings highlight that CBT for individuals with anxiety and mild ID, including cognitive components, may be feasible and tolerable. While the field is gradually receiving more attention, there are significant methodological flaws present, which limit the conclusions that can be drawn regarding the effectiveness of CBT for individuals with ID. However, there is emerging evidence for techniques such as cognitive restructuring and thought replacement and modifications such as visual aids, modelling and smaller groups based on this review. Future research is warranted to investigate whether individuals with more severe ID can benefit from CBT, as well as further exploring what are the necessary components and modifications.

Autistic people and people with other developmental disabilities (DD) are at high likelihood for anxiety and depression, which can negatively affect adult life. Therefore, this study sought to understand temporal links between anxiety and depression over time in autistic adults and adults with DDs, and how these conditions impact specific aspects of positive well-being. A sample of 130 adults with autism or other DDs and their caregivers were drawn from a longitudinal study. Participants complete measures of anxiety (Adult Manifest Anxiety Scale), depression (Beck Depression Inventory, 2nd Edition), and well-being (Scales of Psychological Well-Being). Cross-lagged panel analyses revealed significant autoregressive effects for anxiety and depressive symptoms over time, based on both caregiver and self-report (all p < 0.01). Additionally, although findings differed across reporter, cross-lagged links between anxiety and depression emerged over time. Based on caregiver-report, anxiety symptoms predicted later depressive symptoms (p = 0.002) but depressive symptoms did not predict later anxiety (p = 0.10); the opposite pattern was identified for self-report. Aspects of positive well-being (purpose in life, self-acceptance, personal growth) demonstrated differential links with anxiety and depression (p = 0.001-0.53). These findings highlight the utility of a transdiagnostic approach to mental health services for autistic adults and adults with DDs, and the need to monitor for anxious or depressive symptoms in autistic adults and adults with DDs presenting with depression or anxiety, respectively.

The purpose of this article is to provide the reader with insight and enhanced understanding of the health care transition planning process for adolescents and emerging adults with intellectual disabilities and developmental disabilities. There are distinctly different programmatic considerations that need to be addressed in advancing their transfer of care to adult providers and promoting their transition to adulthood. These differences are due in part to the federal and state legislative initiatives that were established in the education, rehabilitation, employment, and developmental disabilities service systems. In contrast, no comparable federal and state mandates exist in the system of health care. The legislative mandates in education, rehabilitation, and employment are presented and discussed as well as the federal legislation on rights and protections for individuals with intellectual disabilities and developmental disabilities. Consequently, health care transition (HCT) planning involves application of a framework of care that is characteristically different than the planning efforts undertaken for adolescents and emerging adults (AEA) with special health care needs (SHCN)/disabilities and for typically developing AEA. The best practice HCT recommendations are discussed in the context of this intellectual disabilities and developmental disabilities framework of care.

Health care transition planning for adolescents and emerging adults with intellectual disabilities and developmental disabilities involves additional and distinctly clinical and programmatic models of care.

Health care transition planning guidance for adolescents and emerging adults with intellectual disabilities and developmental disabilities are provided based upon best practice recommendations.

Multiple measures of mental health problems and mental wellbeing for adults with intellectual disabilities are available, but investigations into their reliability and validity are still in the early stages. The aim of this systematic review was to provide an update to previous evaluations of measures of common mental health problems and wellbeing in adults with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities (ID).

A systematic search was performed across three databases (MEDLINE, PsycINFO and SCOPUS). The literature search was limited to the years from 2009 to 2021 and to the original English versions. Ten papers evaluating nine measures were reviewed, and the psychometric properties of these measures were discussed using the Characteristics of Assessment Instructions for Psychiatric Disorders in Persons with Intellectual Developmental Disorders as a framework.

Four measures had at least one rating of 'good' across both dimensions of reliability and at least one dimension of validity and were deemed to have promising psychometric properties: the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation-Learning Disabilities, Impact of Events Scale-Intellectual Disabilities, Lancaster and Northgate Trauma Scales and Self-Assessment and Intervention (self-report section). Additionally, these measures were developed through consultations with mental health professionals and/or people with IDs and thus were deemed to have good content validity.

This review informs measurement choice for researchers and clinicians while highlighting a need for continued research efforts into the quality of measures available for people with IDs. The results were limited by incomplete psychometric evaluations of measures available. A paucity of psychometrically robust measures of mental wellbeing was observed.

Depression is one of the leading mental health concerns among science undergraduates, and rates of student depression increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Revealing one's depression in an academic science environment can be helpful, because it can result in increased support from others. However, depression is considered a concealable stigmatized identity, meaning that it can be kept hidden and may carry a stigma. A national pivot to online learning owing to COVID-19 not only increased the need to bolster student mental health, but also presented a novel learning environment. However, it is unclear to what extent students revealed their depression in science courses and why. We surveyed 1179 undergraduates with depression at a research-intensive institution about whether they had revealed their depression to an online college science instructor. Very few undergraduates (5.9%) had revealed their depression to online science instructors; students who identify as LGBTQ+, have lower grade point averages, or experience more severe depression were more likely to reveal their depression to an instructor. Undergraduates reported potential benefits from doing so, including building a connection with the instructor and receiving accommodations. This work provides insight into steps science instructors can take to foster inclusive course environments for students with depression.

Depression is a top mental health concern among college students, yet there is a lack of research exploring how online college science courses can exacerbate or alleviate their depression. We surveyed 2,175 undergraduates at a large research-intensive institution about the severity of their depression in large-enrollment online science courses. The survey also explored aspects of online science courses that exacerbate or alleviate depression and we used regression analyses to assess whether demographics predicted responses. Over 50% of undergraduates reported experiencing depression and LGBTQ+ students, financially unstable students, and lower division students were more likely to experience severe rather than mild depression compared to their counterparts. Students reported difficulty building relationships and struggling to perform well online as aspects of online science courses that exacerbated their depression and the flexible nature of online courses and caring instructors as aspects of online courses that alleviated their depression. This study provides insight into how instructors can create more inclusive online learning environments for students with depression.

An expanding elderly population and people with disabilities pose considerable challenges to the current healthcare system. As a practical technology that integrates systems and services, assistive physical therapy devices are essential to maintain or to improve an individual's functioning and independence, thus promoting their well-being. Given technological advancements, core components of self-powered sensors and optimized machine-learning algorithms will play innovative roles in providing assistive services for unmet global needs. In this Perspective, we provide an overview of the latest developments in machine-learning-aided assistive physical therapy devices based on emerging self-powered sensing systems and a discussion of the challenges and opportunities in this field.

This paper reviews the current state of knowledge on psychological interventions with empirical evidence of efficacy in treating common psychiatric and behavioral disorders in people with intellectual disability (ID) at all stages of their life. We begin with a brief presentation of what is meant by psychiatric and behavioral disorders in this population, along with an explanation of some of the factors that contribute to the increased psychosocial vulnerability of this group to present with these problems. We then conduct a review of empirically supported psychological therapies used to treat psychiatric and behavioral disorders in people with ID. The review is structured around the three generations of therapies: Applied behavior analysis (e.g., positive behavior support), cognitive behavioral therapies (e.g., mindfulness-based cognitive therapy), and contextual therapies (e.g., dialectical behavior therapy). We conclude with some recommendations for professional practice in the fields of ID and psychiatry.

This study proposes a revision (R) of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale for youth with ID (CESD-ID) in English and French. 346 youth (36.02% girls) with mild (51.26%) and moderate (48.78%) ID (11-22 years; M = 15.69), enrolled in secondary schools in Canada (French-speaking; n = 115), and Australia (English-speaking; n = 231), as well as their parents and teachers, participated in this study. Results support the reliability, factor validity, equivalence (sex, ID level, comorbidities, and country), and convergent validity (with youth-, parent-, and teacher-rated measures of depression, anxiety, and loneliness/social isolation) of the CESD-ID-R. The CESD-ID-R allows youth with ID to provide a reliable and valid assessment of their depressive mood and happiness suitable for epidemiological studies.

This study examined factors that predict stress level and life satisfaction among adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic and the role of social support.

From a larger study about the experiences during the pandemic of 2028 individuals with and without disabilities, 181 adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities (or proxy) responded.

Most respondents with intellectual or developmental disabilities (92.8%) reported negative impacts from the pandemic, with 55.2% of the 96 employed pre-pandemic reporting impacted employment, including job loss. The negative impact of the pandemic was a significant predictor of stress level; social support was related to reduced stress. Stress level and the negative impact of the pandemic were inversely related to life satisfaction; social support was positively related to life satisfaction. Social support partially mediated the association between stress level and life satisfaction.

Comprehensive services and social support systems are needed to combat the impact of the pandemic.