JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

People with intellectual disabilities (ID) have a high prevalence of mental health problems, which are often underdiagnosed and treated late due to difficulties in assessment. The limited availability of validated instruments, communication barriers, and reliance on external informants hinder the early detection of symptoms and the monitoring of their progression.

Objective:

This study describes the protocol for the development and piloting MENTALSED, a digital assessment system designed for the continuous monitoring of mental health and emotional well-being in people with ID through momentary ecological assessment using traditional questionnaires supplemented with psychophysiological measures.

Methods:

The project consulted the needs of direct care professionals and conducted a systematic review on the topic to ensure the proper development of the assessment tool, subsequently validated by professionals and individuals with ID. The assessment employs a mixed-methods approach that combines momentary ecological assessment through self-reports and professional-administered reports, as well as the recording of psychophysiological variables using objective measures. The pilot study will involve the participation of individuals with ID and support professionals over a two-week period, allowing for intensive data collection in natural settings.

Results:

MENTALSED is expected to facilitate the early detection of emotional and behavioral changes, improve diagnostic accuracy, and enable the development of evidence-based preventive interventions. The integration of multiple sources of information is expected to help overcome some of the traditional limitations in mental health assessment in this population. The limitations encountered are discussed.

Conclusions:

This study represents a step toward more inclusive, continuous, and person-centered assessment models.