Straatwijzer 2.0: Digital psychoeducation for youth with mild intellectual disabilities and psychiatric problems

Seven percent of Dutch youths have mild intellectual disabilities (MID) and 30-50% of them also have a psychiatric disorder. They often have limited insight in their own capacities and limitations. This may lead to negative perceptions of themselves and socially inappropriate behavior. Psychoeducation is crucial to inform youths and their parents about the consequences of MID and a possibly co-occurring psychiatric disorder for their daily lives and to give them a realistic perspective of the youths’ capacities.

The online psychoeducation program Straatwijzer (version 2.0) informs youths with MID and their parents about the characteristics of MID and possibly occurring psychiatric disorders.

Straatwijzer will be implemented as care as usual in six Dutch health care organizations. Youths with MID who are treated in these health care organizations, and their parents, are offered to use Straatwijzer. The effects of Straatwijzer on youths' and parents' knowledge of MID and psychiatric disorders and their quality of life will be studied in a single arm study. We also explore whether the effects of Straatwijzer differ for distinct subgroups of youths with MID (according to age, gender, IQ, and psychiatric disorder).

1. Straatwijzer 2.0 leads to improvements in the knowledge of youths with mild intellectual disabilities (MID) and their parents about the characteristics of their MID, and about the frequently occurring psychiatric disorders ADHD, autism, conduct disorders, anxiety and depression.

2. Straatwijzer 2.0 affects the quality of life of youths with MID and their parents.

3. The effectiveness of Straatwijzer 2.0 differs for distinct subgroups of youths with MID (according to age, gender, IQ and psychiatric disorder).

Konwledge of MID and psychiatric disorders will be measured by knowledge questions which are incorporated in Straatwijzer. Five of these questions are included before (T0) and after (T1) each of ten distinct sections of Straatwijzer.

Quality of life is measured by three questions included at the start and the end of Straatwijzer.

The online psychoeducation program Straatwijzer informs youths with mild intellectual disabilities (MID) and their parents about the characteristics of MID and possibly co-occurring psychiatric disorders. Straatwijzer 2.0 will be implemented as care as usual in six health care organizations. Youths with MID who are treated in these health care organizations, and their parents, are offered to use Straatwijzer 2.0.

The effects of Straatwijzer on youths' and parents' knowledge of MID and psychiatric disorders and their quality of life are studied in a single arm study.