People with intellectual disabilities are being given antipsychotics

Both mental illnesses and intellectual disabilities can make it difficult for someone to function in society. But they're distinct groups of problems, and the treatments you'd use for one simply won't be effective for the other.

A new study suggests that doctors in the UK haven't kept those facts in mind when writing prescriptions. The study found that antipsychotics were frequently being prescribed to those with intellectual disabilities, even if the patients had never been diagnosed with symptoms of a mental illness. Evidence suggests that this may have been done simply to deal with behavioral problems.

Intellectual disabilities interfere with a person's ability to process information. While this would obviously interfere with academic achievement, it also limits a person's ability to develop social and practical skills. As a result, you might expect some behavioral issues when these individuals interact with society at large.