DECODE Infographics - Understanding Mental Illness

Description:This infographic presents key findings from the DECODE Project’s analysis of long-term health conditions among people with a learning disability. It focuses on mental illness, highlighting that people with a learning disability are disproportionately affected by mental health conditions compared with the general population. The infographic further outlines the most common mental health conditions identified in the study and shows how mental illness often co-occurs with other long-term physical health problems, emphasising the complexity of health needs in this population. Methodology & Data Sources:The findings are drawn from the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage (SAIL) Databank, using anonymised health records of 13,650 adults from 380 GP practices from the year 2000 onwards. Data linkage enabled the identification of individuals with a learning disability and the subsequent tracking of multiple long‐term conditions over time. Analytic techniques included descriptive statistics and multimorbidity profiling to identify prevalence of single and multiple conditions and the most frequent condition combinations. Data governance approvals were obtained via the SAIL system in line with regulatory and ethical requirements for use of anonymised patient‐level data. The research project (NIHR203981) is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) AI for Multiple Long‐term Conditions (AIM) Programme. Interpretation & Use:This resource is designed for use by researchers, policy makers and practitioners working in learning disability health, to support understanding of the scale and complexity of health needs in the learning‐disabled population. The visual design was co‐developed with PPI (Public & Patient Involvement) partners and a graphic designer to ensure accessibility and inclusive communication. Users should consider how the findings may translate to other populations or settings and where needed, consult the full research outputs for detailed methods and context. Availability & Licensing:The infographic is published under a Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license.