Article

Adults with mental illness may experience a higher incidence of dysphagia and
choking due to factors such as medication side effects and behavioural
abnormalities. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of dysphagia
and the most effective interventions for this population. Studies published up to
August 2010 were sought via a comprehensive electronic database search (CINAHL,
PsycINFO, MEDLINE, PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase). Studies reporting dysphagia
frequency or dysphagia intervention outcomes in adults with mental illness were
included. Two reviewers independently assessed study eligibility and quality, and
the results were synthesised descriptively. Ten studies were identified, each
describing dysphagia frequency or death due to choking asphyxiation. No studies
evaluating intervention effectiveness were identified. Study quality was limited
by subjective assessment of outcomes. Six studies presented dysphagia frequencies
ranging from 9 to 42% in varying subgroups. Four studies presented the frequency
of choking asphyxiation death, including a large survey that concluded that
adults with organic mental illness were 43 times more likely to die of this cause
than the general population. Dysphagia is a common and significant cause of
morbidity and mortality in adults with mental illness and our review found that there is a lack of studies evaluating the effectiveness of intervention
techniques.

Langue : ANGLAIS