How do you differentiate major depressive disorder from baseline functioning in patients with intellectual disabilities?

A general assumption of psychiatry is that people with intellectual disabilities can be afflicted with nearly any of the psychiatric disorders apparent in the general population. However, making the diagnosis of other psychiatric disorders in people with varying degrees of intellectual disability an...

Even in patients with limited verbal ability and intelligence, depression can be characterized with change in their baseline abilities. You may notice their interests declining, they are increasingly emotional/irritable, they have changes in appetite, and sleep. They may even bring up their long-dec...