The Influence of the Level of Emotional Development on Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Problem Behaviour in People With Intellectual Disability. A Cross‐Sectional Study in a Spanish Context

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BACKGROUND: People with intellectual disabilities often present a discrepancy between emotional and cognitive development, which may play a role in the presence of some psychiatric disorders and problem behaviour (PB). METHOD: Observational, cross-sectional study of 192 adults with intellectual disabilities and psychiatric disorders. RESULTS: We found a statistically significant relationship between level of emotional development (ED) and degree of intellectual disability, as well as with severity of PB and some kinds of neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders. In a regression model, 61% of the variance in the global emotional development variable is explained by the variables: Intellectual disability mild-moderate and severe (B = -1.058; p < 0.001), Intellectual disability mild and moderate-severe (B = -0.118; p < 0.05), PB (B = -0.352; p < 0.005), autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (B = -0.129; p < 0.05) and adaptive behaviour (B = 0.017; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Level of ED could be a key factor in the severity of PB and in the presence of some psychiatric disorders in people with intellectual disabilities.