Exploration of the dynamic barriers to adults with intellectual disabilities accessing mainstream mental health services
| Pages | 352-362 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/AMHID-01-2015-0001 |
| Published date | 02 November 2015 |
| Date | 02 November 2015 |
| Author | Paddy McNally,Kimberly McMurray |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Learning & intellectual disabilities |
Exploration of the dynamic barriers
to adults with intellectual disabilities
accessing mainstream mental
health services
Paddy McNally and Kimberly McMurray
Dr Paddy McNally is Clinical
Psychologist at Moylinn
Resource Centre, Southern
Health and Social Care Trust,
Northern Ireland, UK.
Dr Kimberly McMurray is
Clinical Psychologist at
Southern Health and Social
Care Trust, Newry, UK.
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to investigate the experiences of psychologists in considering the
barriers to people with intellectual disabilities being able to access mainstream mental health services.
Design/methodology/approach –The information relating to participant experiences was gathered by
conducting two focus groups: one with psychologists working in the adult mental health service and the
second with psychologists working in the learning disability service. A thematic analysis was used to
determine the main themes from each of the focus groups.
Findings –The overarching themes for the psychologists in the adult mental health service related to: service
restrictions; confidence in their ability/skills; and resistance to change. The overarching themes for the
psychologistsin the learning disabilityservice reflected: future thinking;protection; pessimism;and clarification
around mental healthand learning disability.
Originality/value –The discussion includes consideration of the dynamic positions of the two services and
recommendations for an integrated system of working.
Keywords Mental health, Integration, Learning disability, Intellectual disabilities, Bamford review,
Policy drivers, Psychodynamic
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
In the UK, Valuing People (DOH, 2001) and Valuing People Now (DOH, 2009) are the
cornerstone of dev eloping services for people wit h intellectual disabiliti es. The equivalent policy
driver in Northern Ireland is the Bamford Review and Action Plan (Bamford 2007, 2009, 2012).
This project explo res some of the psycho dynamics involve d in why people with int ellectual
disabilities are no t accessing mains tream mental heal th services within our Health Trust.
The exploration fo rms the basis of an audi t of psychology serv ices within the Tru st against
recommendation 56 in the Bamford Review, which states that people who have high levels of
adaptive functioning and a mild intellectual disability require access to mainstream
mental health services. It also adds to the context of the Regulation and Quality
Improvement Authority (RQIA) (2013) recommendations for inclusion of people with
a learning disabil ity in mainstream mental health services with in the Trust. This is currently
not the common pract ice within the Trust a nd, in fact, in some pro grams of care having
a diagnosis of a learnin g disability is explicit exclusion cr iteria for the service, regardless of th e
person’s primary need.
Received 2 January 2015
Revised 2 January 2015
Accepted 27 April 2015
Acknowledgement goes to
Dr Alisha Bannon, Counselling
Psychologist for her involvement in
the data analysis and to all the
participants in the focus groups for
their time and experience.
PAGE352
j
ADVANCESIN MENTAL HEALTH AND INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES
j
VOL. 9 NO. 6 2015, pp.352-362, © Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 2044-1282 DOI 10.1108/AMHID-01-2015-0001
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