| Abstract: |
Background: The term "challenging behavior," in the absence of psychiatric disorder, encompasses a wide range of behaviors that may be harmful to people or property, may be difficult to manage, and may limit access to community facilities. Antipsychotic medications have been used to modify such behaviors in people with learning disability, but there is little evidence to suggest that the benefits outweigh the risks.
Objectives: To determine the effectiveness of antipsychotic medication for people with learning disability and challenging behavior without additional mental illness.
Search strategy: Biological Abstracts, the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycINFO and BIOSIS were searched. Further references were sought from published trials and pharmaceutical companies. Trials were reliably identified and data extracted.
Selection criteria: All randomized controlled trials of antipsychotic medication versus placebo.
Data collection and analysis: Reviewers independently evaluated and analyzed data on an intention to treat basis. Data were evaluated at 4, 8, and 12 weeks as longer follow-up data were not available. Reviewers assumed that those subjects lost to follow-up had a bad outcome.
Main results: Only nine randomized controlled trials could be included in the analyses. These provided no evidence of whether antipsychotic medication helps or harms adults with learning disability and challenging behavior.
Conclusions: There are limited data on this important issue and more research is urgently needed. |
| Plain Language Summary: |
Antipsychotic medication drug, pill, medicine for challenging behaviour in people with learning disability
The term 'challenging behaviour', in the absence of psychiatric disorder, encompasses a wide range of behaviours that may be harmful to people or property, may be difficult to manage control, direct, be in charge of, take care of, watch and may limit access to community facilities. Antipsychotic medications have been used to modify change such behaviours in people with learning disability, but there is no randomised controlled trial-based information information, to learn more that suggests antipsychotic medication drug, pill, medicine is either helpful or harmful for adults with learning disability and challenging behaviour. |
