The subjective experience of adults with intellectual disabilities who have mental health problems within community settings

Purpose – Research into the views of people with dual intellectual and mental health difficulties is sparse. The purpose of this paper is to gain a greater understanding of how individuals with mild intellectual disabilities living in the community understand their psychotic symptoms and experiences. Design/methodology/approach – Five participants with intellectual disabilities and psychotic symptoms living in the community were interviewed. The interview schedule explored key areas: understanding and experiences of having an intellectual disability and a psychotic disorder, and of services provided. The data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Findings – The analysis elicited three main themes: self-concept: “How I understand and see myself”, incorporates what participants understood about their labels, their experiences, and how these labels fitted in with their self-concept; Impact: “How having mental health problems and learning difficulties affect my life”, encompasses communication barriers, lack of control, and stigma and vulnerability. The third main theme was coping: “How I cope with my mental health and learning difficulties”. Research limitations/implications – The findings suggest that the participants, rather than identifying with specific psychiatric labels perceive themselves as having individual and specific needs. The analysis highlights areas that can be developed to help with coping; ensuring people are respected and heard, empowerment through the development of positive social roles, and psycho-education. These results are a step towards developing understanding of this group of service users. Originality/value – There has been no previous research into the perspective of this service user group in the community. The study makes recommendations for future person-centred interventions.

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“When other people try to understand”: exploring the experiences of people with intellectual disabilities, who also have mental health problems

Advances in Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities ◽

10.1108/amhid-07-2018-0032 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 14 (3) ◽

pp. 91-101

Author(s):

Sasha Martine Mattock ◽

Kieron Beard ◽

Amy Baddeley

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Health Services ◽

Focus Group ◽

Health Services ◽

Intellectual Disabilities ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Health Problems ◽

Content Type ◽

The People ◽

People With Intellectual Disabilities

Purpose Recent guidelines from the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence highlight that service users (SUs) with intellectual disabilities and co-occurring mental health problems rarely get the opportunity to share their experiences of mental health services. Over the past 20 years, policy documents have stated that these individuals (SUs) must be included in decisions about their care. Research suggests that often this is not the case. Therefore, this paper aims to create a space for SUs to share their experiences of mental health services, and what they found helpful. Design/methodology/approach A focus group was held with five SUs, two psychologists and two researchers. The audio recording of the discussion was transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. Findings Three main themes were identified, namely, “relationships with others”, “inclusion and communication” and “challenges”. This focus group highlighted that although some SUs felt supported, they reported having little control in their lives and wanted to be listened to. Research limitations/implications Including a SU in the planning and facilitation of the focus group would have made this research more inclusive. Practical implications The implications of this research suggest that by listening to and involving SUs and developing more person-centred services, recovery rates may increase as the services provided would be more targeted. Originality/value Very little research has previously been conducted to explore SUs’ experiences. This paper highlights the value of being heard and the knowledge that is often lost if the authors do not take the time to listen to the people for whom a service is designed.

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Intellectual disability and mental health: is psychology prepared?

Advances in Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities ◽

10.1108/amhid-04-2014-0010 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 8 (6) ◽

pp. 381-389 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Nancy J. Razza ◽

Laura Schwartz Dayan ◽

Daniel Tomasulo ◽

Michelle S. Ballan

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Intellectual Disabilities ◽

Mental Health Professionals ◽

Professional Training ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Health Problems ◽

Health Needs ◽

Mental Health Needs ◽

Content Type ◽

People With Intellectual Disabilities

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is threefold: to document the relationship between intellectual disability (ID) and psychopathology; to raise awareness of the ongoing lag in professional training for psychologists in the area of mental health treatment for people with intellectual disabilities; and, to provide recommendations for advancing professional education and, ultimately, adequate mental health treatment availability for people with intellectual disabilities. Design/methodology/approach – The paper reviews the literature on prevalence of mental health problems in people with intellectual disabilities. At the same time, the paper reviews the training of psychologists relative to the burgeoning growth in awareness of the mental health needs of people with intellectual disabilities. Findings – The paper concludes that ID is a significant risk factor for psychopathology. In addition, the paper concludes that the education of psychologists regarding the mental health needs of people with intellectual disabilities is insufficient. The authors document the need for incorporating research and treatment advances related to intellectual disabilities and mental health into to the professional training of psychologists. The paper also describe the potential this training holds for improving both the lives of people with intellectual disabilities and the overall competence of psychologists. Practical implications – This paper provides a literature-based rationale for the need to include education in the mental health needs of people with intellectual disabilities into the general training of mental health professionals. In addition, it provides specific recommendations for how such training can be incorporated into graduate psychology programs. Originality/value – This paper provides mental health professionals with a review of the growth in understanding of the enormous, unmet mental health needs of people intellectual disabilities, and of the critical role of ID in development of mental health problems. Moreover, this paper builds the case for an important revision in the training of psychologists to include competence in understanding and treating mental health problems across the full spectrum of intellectual functioning.

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Expert opinions on community services for people with intellectual disabilities and mental health problems

Advances in Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities ◽

10.1108/20441281311320756 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 7 (3) ◽

pp. 169-174 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Colin Hemmings ◽

Alaa Al‐Sheikh

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Intellectual Disabilities ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Evidence Base ◽

Health Problems ◽

Community Services ◽

Service Users ◽

Content Type ◽

Accessible Information ◽

Service Components

PurposeThere has been limited evidence on which to base services in the community for people who have intellectual disabilities and coexisting mental health problems. Recent research involving service users, carers and professionals has identified a number of key service components that community services should provide. More detail is needed to explore how best these components could be implemented and delivered. This paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approachA total of 14 multidisciplinary professionals from specialist intellectual disabilities services in the UK were interviewed about their opinions on four key areas of community service provision. These included the review and monitoring of service users, their access to social, leisure and occupational activities, the support, advice and training around mental health for a person's family or carers and “out of hours” and crisis responses. The interview data was used for coding using the NVivo 7 software package and then analyzed using thematic analysis.FindingsAnalysis of participants' views on these key essential service components produced wider themes of importance. The ten major emergent themes for services were: their configuration/structure, their clarity of purpose/care pathways, their joint working, their training, their flexibility, their resources, their evidence‐base, being holistic/multidisciplinary, being needs‐led/personalised and providing accessible information.Originality/valueThese views of experts can help inform further research for the development and the evaluation of services.

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Understanding the mental health experiences of adult men with intellectual disabilities in Singapore

Advances in Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities ◽

10.1108/amhid-06-2021-0029 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Jonathan Ee ◽

Jan Mei Lim ◽

Biza Stenfert Kroese ◽

John Rose

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Intellectual Disabilities ◽

Mental Health Professionals ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Research Question ◽

Health Problems ◽

Western Society ◽

Content Type ◽

Adult Men ◽

People With Intellectual Disabilities

Purpose This study aims to explore the experiences of people with intellectual disabilities in Singapore receiving inpatient mental health treatment. To date, there has not been any research that examines the views and experiences of this population in Singapore. The research examines how the participants view their mental health problems and their experiences of the services they received. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative design was chosen to address the research question. Six adult men with intellectual disabilities were recruited from the tertiary hospital and interviewed. The transcripts of these interviews were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Findings Four super-ordinate themes were identified; awareness of mental health problems; yearn for a life outside the ward; interacting with other people and finding purpose. Originality/value The participants reported that they struggled with being segregated from their families and communities following an inpatient admission. They were able to report on the emotional difficulties that they experienced and hoped to find employment after their discharge from the hospital. They talked about reconstructing their self-identity and forming friendships to cope with their hospital stay. This research is one of its kind carried out in a non-western society and the findings are discussed in the light of how mental health professionals can best support people with intellectual disabilities during their inpatient treatment.

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Life History Research on the Kinship Foster Care of a Child with Intellectual disabilities and Mental health problems

JOURNAL OF SPECIAL EDUCATION & REHABILITATION SCIENCE ◽

10.23944/jsers.2020.06.59.2.5 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 59 (2) ◽

pp. 75-104

Author(s):

Hae-Rin Lee ◽

Suk-Jeong Lee

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Life History ◽

Foster Care ◽

Intellectual Disabilities ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Health Problems ◽

Kinship Foster Care

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“Walking wounded or wounded healer?” Does personal experience of mental health problems help or hinder mental health practice? A review of the literature

Mental Health and Social Inclusion ◽

10.1108/mhsi-02-2014-0003 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

pp. 35-44 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Catherine Conchar ◽

Julie Repper

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Health Services ◽

Health Services ◽

Peer Support ◽

Personal Experience ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Health Problems ◽

Review Of The Literature ◽

Wounded Healer ◽

Content Type

Purpose – A systematic review of the literature on “wounded healers” was undertaken to identify, define and interpret the term and its application within the mental health environment. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Eight key medical/social sciences databases were interrogated. In total, 835 papers were identified in the systematic database search and abstracts were obtained for each to determine whether they met the inclusion criteria. In total, 237 sources were retrieved for critical reading, to assess relevance and value to the review, and 125 documents were subsequently included. Through thematic analysis a number of themes and sub themes were identified Findings – The archetypal image of the wounded healer originates in ancient mythology and crosses many cultures. There are many interpretations and applications of the belief that having healed their own wounds a person is in a better position to heal others, however, the evidence to support this is not so robust. Of more direct relevance to contemporary practice are reports of supporting staff with mental health problems to make a contribution to mental health services, most recently through the employment of peer support workers. Originality/value – As peer support workers are increasingly being employed in mental health services, it is helpful to consider the many existing staff who bring personal experience of mental health problems. This paper explores the evidence that their lived experience makes a difference to the way that they work and considers their employment support needs.

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A United Kingdom Pilot Study of Kinetic Shift Therapy and Mindfulness Based Therapy for Clients Living with Intellectual Disabilities and Enduring Mental Health Problems

Journal of Psychiatry and Mental Health ◽

10.16966/2474-7769.137 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Collins-McGroarty J ◽

Faulkes-Sharrock E ◽

Wilkes R

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Intellectual Disabilities ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Positive Impact ◽

Health Problems ◽

Behavioral Issues ◽

Client Group ◽

Sensitive Topics ◽

Kinetic Shift ◽

The Impact

Objective: Clients with moderate intellectual disabilities are reported to struggle with ongoing mental health problems, especially around emotional and behavioral issues around sensitive topics like their sexuality, which is not always easy to communicate through traditional talking therapies for this client group, therefore a group of individuals were selected to determine the impact of a newer energy psychotherapy technique called Kinetic Shift Therapy (KS) alongside Mindfulness based therapy (MBT) which is utilized more, however with limited published research to determine the positive impact on the symptoms and behaviors that affect this client group.

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