Examining Quality, Use and Impact of Psychotropic use in older adults with intellectual disabilities - EQUIP
The EQUIP project examines the quality and trends of psychotropic use of older adults with intellectual disability over a ten-year period in Ireland to inform practice and policy and to optimise medicines use and health outcomes. The study uses health and medication data from ten years (four waves) of The Intellectual Disability Supplement to the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (IDS-TILDA) study, a nationally representative longitudinal study of adults with intellectual disability over 40 years of age, and from medicines data from the HSE-PSCR prescribing database.
The objectives of EQUIP are to:
• Examine the effects of psychotropic medicines in cognitive and physical function in older adults with intellectual disability
• Assess the change in patterns of psychotropic medicines use among older adults with intellectual disabilities over a decade
• Assess the influence of change in place of residence on psychotropic use patterns in older adults with intellectual disability over a decade.
• Examine the differences in psychotropic prescribing patterns for those aged 40-49 years in 2009/10 (IDS-TILDA Wave 1) and those aged 40-49 years who were newly recruited in Wave 4 in 2019/20
EQUIP ensures to have PPI involvement throughout the course of the study. The research team regularly meet with the PPI panel in the Trinity Centre for Ageing and Intellectual Disability and has person advocates on the Steering Committee, alongside other key stakeholders.
Dissemination and Events
- Examining Quality, Use and Impact of Psychotropic (Use) in older adults with intellectual disabilities (EQUIP): study protocol - HRB Open Research
- Psychotropic medicines prevalence, patterns and effects on cognitive and physical function in older adults with intellectual disability in Ireland: longitudinal cohort study, 2009-2020
- PPI Ignite Festival: Let’s Chat About Medicines!
Psychotropic Medicines for Your Mental Health and The People Who Take Them
The EQUIP Steering group members with intellectual disability along with the PPI panel in TCAID, developed and stared in a video about the EQUIP project. The video includes information on what psychotropic medications are as well as some of the findings from the EQUIP project. We hope you enjoy the video.
WEBINAR: Psychotropic Use in People with Intellectual Disabilities: How Evidence from the EQUIP Study can Inform and Support Policy and Practice
As part of the EQUIP Project, a webinar titled "Psychotropic Use in People with Intellectual Disabilities: How Evidence from the EQUIP Study can Inform and Support Policy and Practice" was held to disseminate key findings. The event explored the implications of these findings and discussed how they can inform and shape future policy and practice to enhance health outcomes and improve the quality of life for older adults with intellectual disabilities.Psychotropic Use in People with Intellectual Disabilities: How Evidence from the EQUIP Study can Inform and Support Policy and Practice
Watch the full webinar here.
Meet the Research Team
- Assistant Professor Máire O’DwyerCo-Principal Investigator
- Professor Mary McCarronCo-Principal Investigator
- Dr Ashleigh GormanResearch Fellow
- Ms Kieva LeslieResearch Assistant
- Mr Aviejay PaulData Scientist
- Dr Marina OdalovićResearch Fellow
Management Team
Prof Cristín Ryan, Professor, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Trinity College Dublin
Dr Éilish Burke, Associate Professor, School of Nursing and Midwifery Trinity College Dublin
Prof Philip McCallion, Professor and Director of the School of Social Work, College of Public Health, Temple University, Pennsylvania, USA
Dr Juliette O’Connell, Assistant Professor, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Trinity College Dublin
Dr Maeve Moran, Consultant psychiatrist, Chair of the Learning Disability Faculty of the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland
Prof Malcolm MacLachlan, Director of the Assisting Living and Learning Institute, Maynooth University
Dr Rosemary Gowran, Clinical Lead for the National Clinical Programme for People with Disability
Dr Martin Henman, Associate Professor School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Trinity College Dublin
Prof Rohit Shankar, Director of Cornwall Intellectual Disability Equitable Research, UK
