Anxiety, Depression, & Barriers to Care for Clients with IDD

A recent study published in JAMA Network Open, “Anxiety, Depression, and Care Barriers in Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities,” examines national patterns in mental health prevalence, treatment use, and access barriers among adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs). Using pooled 2021–2023 National Health Interview Survey data, researchers compared adults with IDDs to adults without functional limitations to better understand disparities in diagnosis, symptom burden, and service access.

Findings show markedly elevated mental health needs among adults with IDDs. More than half reported diagnoses of anxiety (57.2%) and depression (57.1%), rates nearly ten times higher than those observed among adults without disabilities. Daily anxiety and depression symptoms were also significantly more common, as was use of psychiatric medications and counseling services. Despite higher treatment engagement, adults with IDDs continued to experience more frequent and severe symptom presentations, underscoring persistent unmet clinical need.

The study also highlights structural barriers to care. Adults with IDDs were substantially more likely to delay or forgo counseling due to cost and faced broader access challenges tied to socioeconomic vulnerability, public insurance reliance, and service system limitations. Authors conclude that the findings point to the need for disability-informed mental health delivery models, expanded affordability, and workforce training to address the scale of disparity. Strengthening accessible, culturally and disability-responsive care systems will be critical to reducing inequities in mental health outcomes for this population.