Adapted DBT programme for individuals with intellectual disabilities and problems managing emotions: staff awareness training
| Published date | 03 May 2016 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/AMHID-12-2015-0053 |
| Date | 03 May 2016 |
| Pages | 185-198 |
| Author | Sarah Ashworth,Paul Mooney,Ruth Tully |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Learning & intellectual disabilities |
Adapted DBT programme for
individuals with intellectual disabilities
and problems managing emotions:
staff awareness training
Sarah Ashworth, Paul Mooney and Ruth Tully
Sarah Ashworth is based at the
Department of Psychology,
Partnerships in Care,
Nottingham, UK and
Centre for Forensic and Family
Psychology, Division of
Psychiatry and Applied
Psychology, School of
Medicine, The University of
Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
Paul Mooney is based at the
Partnerships in Care Ltd,
Nottingham, UK.
Ruth Tully is based at the
Centre for Forensic and Family
Psychology, Division of
Psychiatry and Applied
Psychology, School of
Medicine, The University of
Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to present the development and evaluation of an original training
package for staff members on an awareness of an adapted Dialectical Behaviour Therapy programme, the
“I Can Feel Good”programme (Ingamells and Morrissey, 2014) designed for individuals with intellectual
disabilities (ID) and problems managing emotions. The quality and effectiveness of the training was assessed
and is reported in this paper.
Design/methodology/approach –Thetraining was delivered forstaff working with individualswith ID in a UK
medium-secure psychiatric hospital and was attended by nursing staff. The workshop consisted of six
modules: “Introduction to the programme”,“Mindfulness”,“Managing feelings”,“Coping in Crisis”,“People
skills”and “Applicationand summary”. Level of self-reportedknowledge, confidence and motivation regarding
seven aspects of the training was measured by an evaluation questionnaire completed pre and post training.
Findings –The results of this study showed that following the training there was a significant increase in
self-reported knowledge, confidence and motivation regarding the seven aspects of the training. When perceptions
of staff behaviours are observed, although in the right direction, this change was found not to be significant.
Originality/value –Thisstudy highlights the potentialfor staff training to increase awarenessof newly adapted
therapeutic programmes for individuals with ID. The staff training may increase their ability and willingness to
facilitate the running of such programmesand ability to support learning transferin group members.
Keywords Staff training, Learning disability, Intellectual disability, Forensic, Emotion regulation,
Adapted DBT
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
It has been previously acknowledged that those with intellectual disabilities (ID) can experience
the full range of psychological disorders and emotional difficulties (Hogue et al., 2007). Research
even suggests that this population are possibly susceptible to emotional and behavioural
problems to a greater extent than the general population (Lindsay et al., 2006). This has been
suggested to be due to a number of factors including intracerebral pathology (Hogue et al.,
2007), social factors such as difficult life experiences (Taylor et al., 2008), low social status and
financial difficulties (Prout and Schaefer, 1985; Prout and Strohmer, 1991; Bouras, 1999).
However, Reiss et al. (1982) highlight a “diagnostic overshadowing”in which psychiatric
comorbidity within ID populations may go unnoticed due to the difficulties in identification
Received 15 December 2015
Revised 14 March 2016
Accepted 18 April 2016
DOI 10.1108/AMHID-12-2015-0053 VOL. 10 NO. 3 2016, pp.185-198, © Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 2044-1282
j
ADVANCESIN MENTAL HEALTH AND INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES
j
PAGE185
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