The Intellectual Disability Supplement to the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (IDS-TILDA) Wave 4, Covid-19 Phase 1 data, 2020

The Intellectual Disability Supplement to the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (IDS-TILDA) is a longitudinal study researching ageing in Ireland among people with an intellectual disability aged 40 and over. This study is the first of its kind in Europe, and the only study able to directly compare the ageing of people with an intellectual disability with the general ageing population. The underpinning values of IDS-TILDA are inclusion, choice, empowerment, person centred, the promotion of people with intellectual disability, the promotion of best practice and to contribute to the lives of people with intellectual disability. The objectives of IDS-TILDA are: to understand the health characteristics of people ageing with an intellectual disability; to examine the service needs and health service utilization of people ageing with an intellectual disability; to identify disparities in the health status of adults with an intellectual disability as compared to The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing’s (TILDA) findings for the general population; and to support evidence-informed policies, practices and evaluation Given the emerging scale and seriousness of the COVID-19 crisis, and the lack of knowledge at that time about its potential impact among people with intellectual disability, there was an urgency to disseminate knowledge about how the virus and its associated public health measures was impacting people with an intellectual disability in Ireland. The first IDS-TILDA COVID-19 survey was developed to assess rates of symptoms and testing, morbidity and treatment, stress and anxiety associated with the pandemic, and any positive outcomes experienced by individuals during the lockdown period. Data were collected between May and September 2020, when Ireland experienced its first wave of infection and first lockdown measures. These data were supplemented with health data from the main IDS-TILDA study, to explore associations with disease morbidity and other health and well-being outcomes, to consider potential predictors of symptoms and COVID positivity and of differences in people’s lives, before and during COVID-19 restrictions.