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An anxious time? Exploring the nature of worries experienced by young people with a mild to moderate intellectual disability as they make the transition to adulthood
- Authors:
- FORTE Marisa, JAHODA Andrew, DAGNAN Dave
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 50(4), November 2011, pp.398-411.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Transition to adulthood can be particularly challenging time for young people with mild intellectual disabilities (IDs) because they are often more socially marginalised, remain more dependent upon their family, and have fewer options for future careers than their typically developing peers. The aim of this study was to examine the content and salience of worries experienced by young people with mild ID during their transition to adulthood. The participants were 26 young people with mild ID and 26 typically developing young people all recruited from a Further Education college in the West of Scotland. The participants underwent a semi-structured interview about their worries and completed self-report assessments concerning anxiety and self-efficacy. The findings showed that that the ID group's most salient worries were largely different from their non-disabled peers at this stage of transition. The ID group worried about: being bullied; losing someone they are dependent upon; failing in life; and making and keeping friends. The non-disabled group worried about: getting a job; not having enough surplus money; failing; and having to make decisions about their future choices. Not only was there a difference in the nature of worries expressed, but the intellectually disabled group also reported ruminating significantly more about their worries and being more distressed by them.
Working for a change?
- Authors:
- JAHODA Andrew, BANKS Pauline, DAGNAN Dave
- Journal article citation:
- Learning Disability Today, 10(8), October 2010, pp.35-37.
- Publisher:
- Pavilion
- Place of publication:
- Hove
Supported employment is a common route to work for people with learning disabilities. In theory, it involves careful job assessment to match individual’s strengths and wishes to potential jobs. This article provides an overview of a study which examined the impact of moving into supported employment on the quality of life and emotional well-being of people with learning disabilities. The 49 participants were recruited from 24 supported employment schemes in Scotland. They worked between 3 and 38 hours a week, with an average of 16 hours. Their jobs were mainly entry level posts in retail, catering, office/administration, factory and domestic work. A number of self-report measures were completed to examine whether there were any changes to the participants’ mental health, social lives, and quality of life when they started work. In addition, the participants took part in 2 semi-structured interviews; the first when they started supported employment and the second 9 months later. The results of the self-report measures showed no changes of note at follow-up. However, the semi-structured interviews provided insight into the participants’ perceptions of work and how their views about employment changed. The article concludes that there was little evidence of people with learning disabilities in work experiencing increased social interaction either within or outside of the work setting. Struggles with work can also raise people’s awareness of the limits of their abilities.
Talking about real-life events: an investigation into the ability of people with intellectual disabilities to make links between their beliefs and emotions within dialogue
- Authors:
- HEBBLETHWAITE Amy, JAHODA Andrew, DAGNAN Dave
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 24(6), November 2011, pp.543-553.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
This study explored how adults with mild-moderate intellectual disabilities talk about emotive real-life experiences and whether they identify and make links between events, beliefs and emotions within their narratives. A cognitive-emotive interview was used to assist 19 adults with intellectual disabilities from the west of Scotland and 19 adults without disabilities to generate an account of an emotive, interpersonal event. Participants (mean age 42-43 years, 23 women in total) also completed a cognitive mediation task and an assessment of intellectual and verbal ability. Between-group analyses indicated that participants with intellectual disabilities scored significantly lower than those without disabilities on the cognitive-emotive interview and the cognitive mediation task. Participants with intellectual disabilities generated fewer beliefs within their dialogues and were less likely to provide alternative perspectives on events. Within-group comparisons showed no significant association between the ability to talk about events, beliefs and emotions within a dialogue and performance on a cognitive mediation task, or with Full Scale or Verbal IQ scores. The authors conclude that because participants with intellectual disabilities had more difficulties in talking about events, beliefs and emotions they are likely to require assistance to reflect on events and consider alternative interpretations, which take into account individual and environmental factors.