Question: For adults with learning disabilities and/or Autism, how effective is Naltrexone compared with any other or no intervention in reducing self-injurious behaviour?

Answer:

Plain language summary

We don't know for sure how effective Naltrexone is in reducing self-harm behaviour in adults with learning disabilities and/or autism, as there is very little high quality or current research out there to give us a clear answer. More rigorous research need to be conducted to give us a better understanding.

Clinical and Research Implications 

Evidence from one systematic review (27 mostly single case studies) suggested that short-term naltrexone treatment could reduce self-injurious behaviour in children and adults with severe and profound cognitive impairment, including autism. Further research should report outcomes for individual participants, use a common set of outcome measures, and explore the relationship between behavioural and biological markers as predictors of response to treatment.

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