Psychologists’ views on the accessibility and effectiveness of psychological therapies for people with intellectual disabilities and autism
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/AMHID-11-2021-0041 |
| Published date | 24 March 2022 |
| Date | 24 March 2022 |
| Pages | 147-156 |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Learning & intellectual disabilities |
| Author | Poppy Siddell |
Psychologists’views on the accessibility
and effectiveness of psychological
therapies for people with intellectual
disabilities and autism
Poppy Siddell
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this study was to explore the views of psychologists working in community
teams for people who have intellectual disabilities (ID) on the provision of psychological therapies to
those withID and autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Design/methodology/approach –Semi-structured interviews were carried out with seven clinical
psychologists working across a large geographical area. Interviews concerned the accessibility and
effectivenessof psychological therapies. Thesewere transcribed and analysed thematically.
Findings –Participants expressed concern about lack of access to mainstream services, the lack of
visibility of their service and the suitability of the physical space to deliver therapy. They were positive
about the effectiveness of therapy but emphasised the importance of adaptations and managing
expectations.
Research limitations/implications –There is a lack of research in this area, and further research is
neededwith service users to develop a fuller understanding of theirneeds.
Practical implications –Consideration needs to be given on how to optimally deliver psychological
therapies for this group. Thiswill need services to become more flexible and focussedon the needs of
this groupof service users.
Originality/value –This paper provides insights into the views of psychologists on providing
psychologicaltherapy to people who have autismand ID.
Keywords Autism, Clinical psychology, Accessibility, Service evaluation, Psychological therapies,
Intellectual disabilities
Paper type Research paper
There are growing bodies of literature regarding the effectiveness of psychological
therapies for people with either intellectual disability (ID) (Beail, 2016;Vereenooghe
and Langdon, 2013) or autism spectrum disorders (ASD; Spain et al.,2015). As a
result, the provision of psychological services for individuals in these populations who are
experiencing mental health difficulties have become more widely available, with the
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines recommending the use
of appropriately adapted therapies (NICE, 2016 and NICE, 2012). The most common co-
occurring disorders in people with ID are ASD (Wilkins and Matson, 2009), particularly in
those with the lowest level of intellectual functioning (Emerson and Baines, 2010). ASD are
characterised by impairments in areas such as social communication and a restricted and/
or repetitive pattern of behaviour, interests or activities (American Psychiatric Association,
2013). Although there is emergingevidence to suggest that individuals with ASD and ID are
at increased risk of developing mental health difficulties (Dekker and Koot, 2003), there is a
Poppy Siddell is based at
Clinical and Applied
Psychology Unit,
The University of Sheffield,
Sheffield, UK.
Received 5 November 2021
Revised 26 January 2022
Accepted 3 February 2022
DOI 10.1108/AMHID-11-2021-0041 VOL. 16 NO. 3 2022, pp. 147-156, ©Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 2044-1282 jADVANCES IN MENTAL HEALTH AND INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIESjPAGE 147
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