Our work will be of relevance to commissioners of health and social care. The results will help in understanding of the mental health care needs of individuals with ID and identification of modifiable targets for intervention will be important for preventing mental health problems in the ID community. The understanding of the mental health needs of individuals with an ID is still limited and despite an increase in policy and research interest in the area, the evidence is extremely limited. Clinical services for adults with an ID are relatively limited in their remit beyond clinical diagnosis in much of the UK and beyond. This work will lead to the conduct of one of the largest and most detailed studies on this topic to date. The evidence produced is likely to contribute to the much needed discussion regarding appropriate service provision and policy in relation to mental health problems in individuals with an ID. Insights into the potential risk or resilience factors may help initiate research into the development and evaluation of interventions to address them.