Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37213586›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of developmental disabilities2023

Aligning quality of life and guidelines for off-label psychotropic drugs in adults with intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviour.

P Laermans, F Morisse, M Lombardi, S Gérard, S Vandevelde, G de Kuijper, K Audenaert, C Claes

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of developmental disabilities, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
2.9field-weighted citation impact, top 7% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 5 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Health problems of people with intellectual disabilities in general practice: dynamic cohort study between 2012 and 2021 with Dutch routine care data.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2026
    Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

P LaermansEQUALITY//ResearchCollective, University College Ghent, Ghent, Belgium.
F MorisseDepartment of Special Needs Education, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
M LombardiEQUALITY//ResearchCollective, University College Ghent, Ghent, Belgium.
S GérardSuperior Health Council, Brussels, Belgium.
S VandeveldeDepartment of Special Needs Education, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
G de KuijperCentre for Intellectual Disabilities & Mental Health, Mental Healthcare Drenthe, the Netherlands.
K AudenaertDepartment of Psychiatry, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
C ClaesEQUALITY//ResearchCollective, University College Ghent, Ghent, Belgium.
University College Ghent · BEGhent University · BEGGZ Drenthe · NLGhent University Hospital · BE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Adults with intellectual disabilities have an increased vulnerability to mental health problems and challenging behaviour. In addition to psychotherapeutic or psychoeducational methods, off-label pharmacotherapy, is a commonly used treatment modality. Objective: The aim of this study was to establish evidence-based guideline recommendations for the responsible prescription of off-label psychotropic drugs, in relation to Quality of Life (QoL). Method: A list of guidelines was selected, and principles were established based on international literature, guideline review and expert evaluation. The Delphi method was used to achieve consensus about guideline recommendations among a 58-member international multidisciplinary expert Delphi panel. Thirty-three statements were rated on a 5-point Likert-scale, ranging from totally disagree to totally agree, in consecutive Delphi rounds. When at least 70% of the participants agreed (score equal or higher than 4), a statement was accepted . Statements without a consensus were adjusted between consecutive Delphi rounds based on feedback from the Delphi panel. Results: Consensus was reached on 4 general:the importance of non-pharmaceutical treatments, comprehensive diagnostics and multidisciplinary treatment. Consensus was reached in 4 rounds on 29 statements. No consensus was reached on 4 statements concerning: freedom-restricting measures, the treatment plan, the evaluation of the treatment plan, and the informed consent. Conclusion: The study led to recommendations and principles for the responsible prescription - aligned with the QoL perspective - of off-label psychotropic drugs for adults with intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviour. Extensive discussion is needed regarding the issues on which there was no consensus to furthering the ongoing development of this guideline.

Indexed as

challenging behaviourDelphi studyguidelinesintellectual disabilityoff-label usepsychotropic drugsquality of life

Identifiers

PMID37213586
PMCPMC10197992
OpenAlexW4377107195

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.