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An audit of 100 referrals made to anger management groups provided by a forensic community mental health team over a four‐year period was carried out to help identify the characteristics of those who benefit from the group programme. It was hypothesised that certain factors might predominate in unsuitable referrals. Only 43 individuals actually attended the initial assessment, and 17 completed the group. Chisquare tests of association established no association between attendance and any of the variables identified. Clinical assessment suggested some differences between those who completed the groups and those who did not, but the numbers were small. Given the low completion rate and the fact that variables which characterise unsuitable referrals have not been identified, it is concluded that it may be more useful to use resources in other ways.

Janette1 is a young woman with both a mild intellectual disability and moderate physical disabilities who experienced a major depressive disorder at a stage in her life when many young adults leave home. This case study exemplifies the success of a multi‐disciplinary, multi‐agency and multi‐element intervention for severe depression in relation to the tasks of adolescence. The impact of a combination of treatments (including attendance at an assessment day unit, electro‐convulsive therapy (ECT) and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)) on Janette's mood has been assessed regularly using the Glasgow Depression Inventory ‐ Learning Disability (GDS‐LD) scale (Cuthill, 2003). There is currently very little literature on either using ECT with people with learning disabilities or assessing depression in this population. The multiple inputs, in Janette's case, have had the desired effect of greatly improving her mood, which has been sustained via outpatient follow‐up and tailoring of day and respite services.