Research in mental health learning disabilities: present challenges and future drivers

Research in mental health learning disabilities has advanced significantly in recent years. Many important papers have helped to change practice and to pursue innovative ideas that cut across the nature/nurture divide. Several new journals have been launched that cover an array of subjects from basic sciences to policy and practice. The advent of evidence-based practice has been slow to develop in mental health learning disabilities but rigorous epidemiological studies and related developments such as the more precise calibration of diagnostic tools have been some of the notable outcomes. The scope of this article, written from the perspective of a clinical academic in the psychiatry of learning disability, is not to report on the whole of the research field in learning disabilities and so, inevitably, there will be important omissions. The aim is to discuss scientific enquiry as it pertains to mental health issues in this population and to consider some of the future drivers that show promise in helping to deliver high-quality care to our service users.