June 2014

The Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities has released a released a new report to show how mental health services can better support people with learning disabilities.

In line with the government’s No Health Without Mental Health strategy, the Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities (FPLD) has undertaken a project to find out about the barriers which make it difficult for people with learning disabilities to access mental health services and resources.

The FPLD has worked for many years with people with learning disabilities and their families who have told them that they do not get support to think about mental health or to talk about mental health problems in the same way as they do with physical health.

The organisation wants to make it easier for people with learning disabilities and their families to navigate the mental health system and access services when they need them.

As part of this work it surveyed families of people with learning disabilities, people with learning disabilities  and people who work in mental health services to find out their views.

This has resulted in the publication of its Feeling Down: Improving the mental health of people with learning disabilities report which aims to show commissioners how services can better support people with learning disabilities. 

The organisation also has the following 2 other versions of the guide for people with learning disabilities and their families and supporters:

• Feelind Down: Easy read summary - a simplified version to help people with learning disabilities understand the aims of the main Feeling Down report
• Feeling Down: Looking After My Mental Health - another simplified report to help people with learning disabilities think about and look after their mental health with the help of interactive sections

For further information on learning disabilities and the Feeling Down report please visit the FPLD website.