Service user satisfaction with individual psychotherapy for people with intellectual disabilities
| Pages | 277-283 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/AMHID-06-2013-0046 |
| Date | 09 September 2013 |
| Published date | 09 September 2013 |
| Author | Mahbub Munir Khan,Nigel Beail |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Learning & intellectual disabilities |
Service user satisfaction with individual
psychotherapy for people with intellectual
disabilities
Mahbub Munir Khan and Nigel Beail
Dr Mahbub Munir Khan is a
Clinical Psychologist, based at
Leeds and York Partnership
NHS Foundation Trust, Leeds,
UK.
Professor Nigel Beail is a
Consultant Clinical
Psychologist, based at South
West Yorkshire Partnership
NHS Foundation Trust,
Barnsley, UK and University
of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
Abstract
Purpose – Psychological therapies are increasingly being made available to adults with intellectual
disabilities. However,little is known about service user satisfaction with this type of intervention. The aim was
to ascertain quantitative and qualitative data on user satisfaction with the psychological therapy they had
received.
Design/methodology/approach – In total, 20 recipients of psychological therapy completed the
Satisfaction with Therapy and Therapist Scale – Revised (STTS-R; Oei and Shuttleword, 1999) and the
Experience of Service Questionnaire (Commission for Health Improvement, 2002). The scales were adapted
for language and administered in an assisted completion format by an independent researcher after a
course of psychological therapy had been completed. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the
quantitative data and thematic analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data.
Findings – Generally, recipients were highly satisfied with their therapist and the therapy they received.
Originality/value – The results confirm previous findings from two small-scale qualitative studies. Service
user satisfaction is a key quality outcome measure and can be collated in routine practice for people with
intellectual disabilities. The collation of qualitative responses in addition to quantitative measures is
important to enable the expression of dissatisfaction and greater detail in order to inform service
improvement.
Keywords Intellectual disability, Psychological therapy, Satisfaction
Paper type Research paper
With the increased availability and growing evidence base, it is now widely accepted that with
appropriate modification, the models of psychotherapy that are used in the general population
can also be used with people with intellectual disabilities with positive effects (Beail et al., 2005;
Nicoll et al., 2013; Willner, 2006).
In the UK the Care Quality Commission has put an increased emphasis on safety, efficacy of
interventions and patient experience (Department of Health, 2008a). Involving service users in
the planning, delivery and evaluation of services in order to develop high-quality person centred
services is a focus of the Care Quality Commission (2009) and the Valuing People Now strategy
(Department of Health, 2008b). A report by the Royal College of Psychiatrists (2004) highlighted
the importance of services actively seeking the opinions and experience of people with
intellectual disabilities regarding the psychotherapy services provided. Evaluating service user
satisfaction will enable the involvement of service users in evaluating the quality of their
experience and improving the quality of psychotherapy offered.
The outcomes-based accountability approach (Friedman, 2005), is a conceptual approach to
planning services, assessing their performance and focusing on outcomes. Outcomes-based
accountability uses three performance measures: “How much did we do”, “How well did we do it”
DOI 10.1108/AMHID-06-2013-0046 VOL. 7 NO. 5 2013, pp. 277-283, CEmeraldGroup Publishing Limited, ISSN 2044-1282
j
ADVANCES IN MENTAL HEALTH AND INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES
j
PAGE 277
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