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Background: The quality of life (QOL) construct is proposed as a method to assess service outcomes for people utilising disability services. With this in mind, the aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review of available QOL measures for people with intellectual disability (ID) to pinpoint psychometrically sound measures that can be routinely used for service evaluation. Method: A systematic search of the disability literature published between 1980 and 2008 was conducted in order to identify appropriate QOL tools for use within an Australian context. Twenty-four QOL instruments were identified and each instrument was then evaluated against a set of psychometric and measurement criteria. Results: Six of the instruments examined were deemed to be psychometrically sound on the available information. No instruments were found that specifically assess QOL for people with ID who exhibit challenging behaviour. Most of the instruments assess QOL from a subjective perspective, use a questionnaire format and measure only some (not all) of the eight theoretically accepted domains of QOL. Conclusions: More instruments that measure QOL need to be developed and rigorously validated. This is especially the case for high-needs disability populations like those individuals that exhibit challenging behaviour or have severe to profound ID, as it is questionable whether existing measures can be used with these populations.

Internationally, there have been calls for more strategic mental health care delivery. For this to occur, individual countries need to define 'core' mental health services and set evidence-based, country-specific resource targets related to these. Via a web search, we identified 32 current mental health plans from five developed countries. We synthesised descriptive information from these documents, in order to compare profiles of 'core' services, resource targets relating to these services, and rationales for these resource targets. Most plans list 'core' clinical services, typically including a mix of inpatient and community services. Only four plans cite resource targets for these 'core' services, and these are difficult to compare due to different definitional and counting rules. All four provide rationales for the targets, though these vary in strength. The challenge remains for individual countries to develop plans that include appropriate resource targets, and to implement initiatives that move them towards these targets.

Purpose of Review: This paper summarizes trends in the research literature about stress and burnout in the lives of people who are the professional carers of people with intellectual disability. The principal time period considered was from 2004 to 2006., Recent Findings: Studies reviewed here focus on several themes including inequities affecting professional carers of people with intellectual disability and the possible effects of some models of care on inequities. Implications for people with intellectual disability are also considered., Summary: The diaspora of people with intellectual disability into the community and their accompanying services found a whole new set of unpredicted and unprecedented challenges. Life in the community has rendered professional carers of people with intellectual disability more clearly vulnerable to stress and burnout for a variety of complex reasons, some identified and others as yet unrecognized. Lack of support and lack of role definition are particular problems. Presence of physical and mental health inequities result in major disparities in community care for people with intellectual disability.