The Mental Health of Children and Adolescents with Learning Disabilities in Britain

This article provides a summary of a report, The Mental Health of Children and Adolescents with Learning Disabilities in Britain (Emerson & Hatton, 2007). This report, based on the experiences of over 18,000 children aged between 5 and 15 years old found that one in three (33%) of children with learning disabilities are likely to have a mother with mental health needs and nearly half (47%) are living in poverty. Young people with learning disabilities also have fewer friends than other children living in Britain and are more likely to suffer abuse and be involved in serious accidents. The full report can be downloaded from www.learningdisabilities.org.uk.