Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for people with developmental disabilities: a systematic literature review

People with intellectual and developmental disabilities have long been subject to guardianship. Through this process, individuals lose all or most of their rights which may result in negative mental health outcomes. While some individuals benefit from guardianship, there are others that could suffer...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inCurrent psychology (New Brunswick, N.J.) Vol. 44; no. 11; pp. 10300 - 10310
Main Author Minkoff, Rachel A.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published New York Springer US 01.06.2025
Springer Nature B.V
Subjects
Advocacy
Americans with Disabilities Act 1990-US
Behavioral Science and Psychology
Bill of Rights-US
Councils
Decision making
Developmental disabilities
Guardians
Intellectual disabilities
Parental rights
Psychology
Social Sciences
New York
United States > US
Policy
Disability
Guardianship
Advocacy
Autonomy
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Summary:People with intellectual and developmental disabilities have long been subject to guardianship. Through this process, individuals lose all or most of their rights which may result in negative mental health outcomes. While some individuals benefit from guardianship, there are others that could suffer psychosocial detriment from having their rights and decision-making capabilities removed. Through the literature, we seek to learn about mental health outcomes, what changes to the system have been explored, and the current standard of practice surrounding guardianship. Additionally, we explore discussions regarding alternatives to guardianship and how they can support individuals in decision-making without removing all of their rights. Advocates must be aware of the process of guardianship, alternatives to guardianship, as well as the potential effects guardianship can have. Recommendations for research, based on the discussion of the literature, include longitudinal studies on the effects of guardianship and its alternatives on the mental health of those subject to it.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
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ISSN:1046-1310
1936-4733
DOI:10.1007/s12144-025-07840-w