Intellectual disability, mental illness and offending behaviour: forensic cases from early twentieth-century Ireland.
BACKGROUND
The history of institutional care for individuals with intellectual disability is under-researched, complex and troubling.


OBJECTIVE
To explore the experiences of women who may have had intellectual disability and/or mental illness and were admitted to forensic psychiatric care in early twentieth-century Ireland.


METHODS
All female case records at the Central Mental Hospital, Dublin from 1910 to 1948 (n = 42) were studied for evidence of possible intellectual disability and a series of five cases is presented in detail.


RESULTS
These committals occurred in the context of adverse social conditions, over-crowding in asylums and a belief that rates of mental illness were rising. Particular challenges included diagnostic issues (especially in relation to intellectual disability), adjustment to asylum environments, mental illness and physical ill-health.


CONCLUSIONS
The institutional experiences of individuals with intellectual disability represents an important area for further historical research, using larger and more varied forensic populations.
Kelly
B D
BD
Department of Adult Psychiatry, University College Dublin, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, 62/63 Eccles Street, Dublin 7, Ireland. brendankelly35@gmail.com
D005554:Forensic Medicine / Q000266:history*; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000266:history*; D007494:Ireland; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000266:history*