Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT): the impact of service changes due to COVID-19 on people with learning disabilities
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/AMHID-01-2022-0002 |
| Published date | 09 June 2022 |
| Date | 09 June 2022 |
| Pages | 199-210 |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Learning & intellectual disabilities |
| Author | Caroline Rodhouse,Dave Dagnan,Richard Thwaites,Chris Hatton |
Improving Access to Psychological
Therapies (IAPT): the impact of service
changes due to COVID-19 on people with
learning disabilities
Caroline Rodhouse, Dave Dagnan, Richard Thwaites and Chris Hatton
Abstract
Purpose –Primary care psychological interventions for peoplewith common mental health problems in
England are primarily delivered through Improving Access to PsychologicalTherapies (IAPT) services.
People with learning disabilities within IAPT have poorer key clinical outcomesthan people who do not
identify as havinga learning disability.During the global COVID-19 pandemic remote consultationshave
accountedfor nearly 90% of all contacts in IAPT services; thispaper aims to report the effects of these on
outcomesfor people with learning disabilities.
Design/methodology/approach –Publicly available nationaldata from the COVID-affected period are
compared to the most recent available comparison periods that are not during the COVID pandemic.
Data arepresented graphically.
Findings –People with learning disabilities differ little from those with no disabilities on several key
process and outcome variables, although their clinical recovery is very much lower than those without
disabilities. People with learning disabilities appear to have been affected by the changes in service
deliveryin a similar way to those without learning disabilities.
Originality/value –Despite the shiftto predominantlyremote therapy delivery, outcomes for peoplewith
learning disabilities have not been differentially affected compared to those who have no recorded
disability.The potential to learn what has worked and not worked in the delivery of remoteinterventions for
people withlearning disabilities is highlighted.
Keywords IAPT, ImprovingAccess to Psychological Therapies,Learning disability,Intellectual disability,
COVID-19,Remote therapy
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services provide evidence-based
treatments primarily for people with depression and anxiety disorders. The IAPT Manual (National
Collaborating Centre for Mental Health, 2020) states that IAPT operates under three principles:
1. the provision of NICE recommended evidence-based psychological therapies in a
stepped care model through;
2. an appropriately trained and accredited workforce, who receive weekly outcome
focussed supervision from senior clinicians with the correct competencies to support
them; and
3. outcome measurement on a session-by-session basis, which structures both the
person’s treatment and supports service improvement.
Caroline Rodhouse and
Dave Dagnan is based at
the North Cumbria Learning
Disability Community
Team, Cumbria,
Northumberland, Tyne and
Wear NHS Foundation
Trust, Newcastle upon
Tyne, UK. Richard Thwaites
is based at First Step,
Cumbria, Northumberland,
Tyne and Wear NHS
Foundation Trust,
Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
Chris Hatton is based at the
Department of Social Care
and Social Work,
Manchester Metropolitan
University, Manchester,
UK.
Received 13 January 2022
Revised 14 April 2022
Accepted 9 May 2022
DOI 10.1108/AMHID-01-2022-0002 VOL. 16 NO. 4 2022, pp. 199-210, ©Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 2044-1282 jADVANCES IN MENTAL HEALTH AND INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES jPAGE 199
To continue reading
Request your trial