The Management of Cancer and Depression in People With Intellectual Disabilities

Abstract

Intellectual disability (ID) is a lifelong impairment of cognition and adaptive behavior that emerges in the development period. ID is a differentiated disability, whose severity differs from mild to profound. People with ID all have unique strengths and deficits, and while some can live autonomously, others may need significant levels of support. Many people with ID are affected by cancer in their lifetime, and depression and anxiety are psychiatric syndromes that have been receiving the most attention in people with cancer. The chapter provides an overview of how exercise and psychotherapy can help people with ID to manage cancer and depression.