Research suggests that children and young people with learning disabilities experience higher levels of mental ill-health than those without learning disabilities. However, there is very little research on the rate of mental health conditions over time in this population. It is important to gain a clearer picture of the proportion of children and young people with specific mental health conditions in the UK, and the rate of mental health conditions over time, in order to target resources effectively. In this study, we will describe the proportion of children and young people (aged 0–24 years) with and without learning disabilities who have different mental health conditions. We will also describe the portion of children and young people with mental health conditions who receive psychotropic prescriptions, as well as referrals and admission to psychiatric services in the UK.

In this study, we will use data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) GOLD to describe the prevalence and incidence of specific mental health conditions in children and young people, between the study dates of 1 January 2004 and 31st August 2020. We will also describe prevalence and incidence of psychotropic prescriptions, psychiatric referrals and admissions among children and young people with and without learning disabilities who have mental health conditions in the UK.

Project information last updated 6th October 2020