The relationships among three factors affecting the financial decision-making abilities of adults with mild intellectual disabilities.
BACKGROUND
Among adults with intellectual disabilities (IDs), there is a need not only to assess financial decision-making capacity, but also to understand how it can be maximized. Although increased financial independence is a goal for many people, it is essential that individuals' decision-making abilities are sufficient, and many factors may affect the development of such abilities.


METHODS
As part of a wider project on financial decision-making, we analysed previous data from a group of 30 adults with mild IDs, identifying correlations among four variables: (i) financial decision-making abilities; (ii) intellectual ability; (iii) understanding of some basic concepts relevant to finance; and (iv) decision-making opportunities in everyday life.


RESULTS
The analysis indicated a direct relationship between ID and basic financial understanding. Strong relationships of a potentially reciprocal nature were identified between basic financial understanding and everyday decision-making opportunities, and between such opportunities and financial decision-making abilities.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings suggest that the role of intellectual ability in determining financial decision-making abilities is only indirect, and that access to both basic skills education and everyday decision-making opportunities is crucial for maximizing capacity. The implications of this are discussed.
Suto
W M I
WM
Department of Psychiatry (Section of Developmental Psychiatry), University of Cambridge, UK. wmis2@cam.ac.uk
Clare
I C H
IC
Holland
A J
AJ
Watson
P C
PC
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D005382:Financing, Personal; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000191:economics*; D008297:Male; D016743:Mental Competency; D008875:Middle Aged; D019989:Persons with Intellectual Disabilities / Q000523:psychology*; D011584:Psychology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors