A 10-year review of a Hong Kong model for mental health care of people with intellectual disability
Kwok, H.
Israel Journal of Psychiatry and Related Sciences 43(4): 252-257
2006
ISSN/ISBN: 0333-7308 PMID: 17338444 Document Number: 596921
Following the movement from institutionalization to community care, there has been a transformation of services for people with intellectual disability over the past few decades. Kwai Chung Hospital in Hong Kong is a pioneer in Asia that took the initiative of improving the mental health care for this underserved population by setting up a specialist unit called the Psychiatric Unit for Learning Difficulties (PULD) 10 years ago. This new service was established through re-engineering of existing resources and re-distribution of manpower within the psychiatric hospital. This paper reviews the work of PULD and examines its achievements. By sharing the experiences of PULD, it is hoped that health providers currently without such a specialist service can make similar reforms to enhance their provisions for people with intellectual disability and mental health problems.