Jeevanandam Lohsnah
Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
Curr Opin Psychiatry. 2009 Sep;22(5):462-8. doi: 10.1097/YCO.0b013e32832ec056.
Given the scarcity of Asian literature on intellectual disability, the aim of this review article is to shed light on the epidemiology, policy, and services for children and adults with intellectual disability in Asia.
The prevalence of intellectual disability across Asia appears to be consistent with western estimates at 0.06-1.3%, with the exception being China at 6.68%. In the only two studies of mental health conducted in Asia, the prevalence ranged from 4.4 to 48.3%. Some of the common physical health problems among Singaporean adults with intellectual disability are obesity, high blood pressure, and high blood cholesterol. All Asian countries/territories have at least one law or policy that promotes the well being of persons with disabilities, with Japan being the only country that has a law specifically enacted for persons with intellectual disability. Although there is an array of services being offered for children and adults with intellectual disability across south-east Asia, there is also a variation in the proportion of countries that offer these services.
Overall, the challenge for Asia will be to develop a localized base of knowledge by conducting epidemiological studies, modeling after evidence-based practices, and evaluating its effectiveness. By adopting a scientific approach and formal publication of data, intellectual disability standards can be evaluated, managed, and improved in a systematic manner.
鉴于亚洲关于智力残疾的文献稀缺，本文综述旨在阐明亚洲儿童和成人智力残疾的流行病学、政策及服务情况。
亚洲各地智力残疾的患病率似乎与西方估计的0.06 - 1.3%一致，但中国为6.68% 除外。在亚洲仅有的两项心理健康研究中，患病率在4.4%至48.3%之间。新加坡成年智力残疾者中一些常见的身体健康问题包括肥胖、高血压和高胆固醇血症。所有亚洲国家/地区都至少有一项促进残疾人福祉的法律或政策，日本是唯一一个专门为智力残疾者制定法律的国家。尽管东南亚各地为儿童和成人智力残疾者提供了一系列服务，但提供这些服务的国家比例也存在差异。
总体而言，亚洲面临的挑战将是通过开展流行病学研究、效仿循证实践模式并评估其有效性，建立本地化的知识基础。通过采用科学方法并正式公布数据，可以系统地评估、管理和改进智力残疾标准。
