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A systematic review of the knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of health and social care professionals towards people with learning disabilities and mental health problems
- Authors:
- EE Jonathan, KROESE Biza Stenfert, ROSE John
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Learning Disabilities, early cite 25 June 2021,
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Background: People with learning disabilities have poorer access to mental health services. It is important for health and social care professionals to have adequate knowledge and skills combined with positive attitudes to work with this population. This review focuses on the knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of health and social care professionals who provide mental health services to people with learning disabilities. Method: A systematic literature search was carried out to identify quantitative studies published in the English language between 2006 and 2020. Results: Thirteen studies were identified that met the inclusion criteria. The studies identified a lack of knowledge and competency among health and social care professionals to address the mental health needs of people with learning disabilities. Health and social care professionals in these studies viewed people with learning disabilities are more vulnerable and suggested specialist mental health services to cater to their specific mental health needs. Conclusions: Health and social care professionals appear to hold negative views of people with learning disabilities, which adversely influences their willingness to work with them. It is recommended that health and social care professionals receive more training opportunities to increase their skills and develop confidence in providing services to this population. (Edited publisher abstract)
Consenting adults?: guidance for professionals and carers when considering rights and risks in sexual relationships involving people with a mental disorder
- Author:
- MENTAL WELFARE COMMISSION FOR SCOTLAND
- Publisher:
- Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland
- Publication year:
- 2010
- Pagination:
- 40p.
- Place of publication:
- Edinburgh
Sexual expression, sexual relationships, marriage and children are a natural and expected part of a person’s life experience. People with a mental illness, learning disability or other mental disorder, have the same personal and sexual needs and rights as anyone else. At the same time people with a mental disorder can be at particular risk of abuse or exploitation. Balancing those rights and risks raises a host of legal and moral dilemmas. This guidance has been produced in response to the legal, ethical and practical issues concerning sexual relationships involving adults with a mental disorder. It is intended to provide a framework for discussion of the general issues that need to be considered when assessing risk and considering the need for intervention in a person’s sexual life. In assessing and deciding on the need for intervention, this guidance looks at a number of significant questions for practitioners. These include: assessment of capacity; issues of consent; knowledge of the person’s background and past and present wishes; the nature of the mental disorder; different forms of sexual expression; potential risks as against benefits; staff attitudes, knowledge and training; assistance given by staff; family attitudes; cultural and religious beliefs; the person’s living situation; statutory duties and professional and organisational responsibilities to investigate, including issues of confidentiality and disclosure; and intervention that may be required.
Staffs' knowledge and perceptions of working with women with intellectual disabilities and mental health problems
- Authors:
- TAGGART L., MCMILLAN R., LAWSON A.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 54(1), January 2010, pp.90-100.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
There is evidence suggesting that women are more likely than men to develop mental health problems; likewise there is literature indicating that people with intellectual disabilities are also more prone to developing mental ill health then the non-disabled population. The aim of this study was to explore a range of health and social care staffs' knowledge and perceptions of caring for women with ID who have mental health problems, focusing upon risk and resilient/protective factors and barriers to accessing care. The qualitative methodology used eight focus groups involving a total of 32 frontline hospital, community and residential staff across one region of the UK. Transcripts were subjected to thematic content analysis using Newell & Burnard's framework. Six inter-related risk factors were identified as potential causes for women with ID developing mental illness: having an ID and being female; unmet expectations; dysfunctional family upbringing; unstable relationships/loss of children; domestic violence; and negative life experiences. Hormonal issues were rarely acknowledged. Resilient/protective factors included being proactive, greater community participation, early recognition, and mental health maintenance. The authors discuss their results in light of current developments and policy within mainstream psychiatric gender approaches. They recommend greater recognition of a proactive health approach for both staff and women with an ID.
Investigating staff knowledge and attitudes towards working with adults with learning disabilities and mental health problems
- Authors:
- ROSE Nikki, O'BRIEN Alex, ROSE John
- Journal article citation:
- Advances in Mental Health and Learning Disabilities, 1(3), September 2007, pp.52-59.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Government policy in the UK suggests a shift in service provision so that the treatment of people with a learning disability who have mental health problems should be undertaken by mainstream mental health services rather than specialist learning disability services. Staff members from both specialist and mainstream services took part in a series of focus groups to discuss their experiences and attitudes about working with this group of people. Findings form the study suggest that staff with mainstream services currently feel that they are inadequately trained to deal with the often complex mental health needs of this group. Conversely, staff in learning disability services expressed concern about loosing their specialist skills in generic services. The implications of the themes are raised are discussed, particularly in relation to future service provision.
The role of training in improving community care staff awareness of mental health problems in people with intellectual disabilities
- Authors:
- COSTELLO Helen, BOURAS Nick, DAVIS Hilton
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 20(3), May 2007, pp.228-235.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Care staff play a key role in identifying individuals with intellectual disabilities and additional mental health problems. Yet, few receive training in mental health, and evidence about the effectiveness of training is scant. A pre–post study is reported, using a mental health screen and a self-report questionnaire to examine staff awareness of mental health problems and to measure whether training improved knowledge of psychopathology, attitudes towards mental health services and referral decisions. The sample was recruited from care staff from one South East London borough attending the workshop and a comparison group not in receipt of training. Prior to training, deficits in awareness were evident. The Psychiatric Assessment Schedule for Adults with a Developmental Disability (PAS-ADD) Checklist detected significant psychopathology in approximately one-third of the individuals judged to have no mental health problems according to staff. Four months after the delivery of training, significant improvements in knowledge, attitudes and referral decisions were observed. It is concluded that brief training interventions may improve awareness of mental health problems, but further research is needed to understand the referral process and to demonstrate the role of training in influencing actual staff behaviour.
Who do disabled people think they are?
- Author:
- FLETCHER Agnes
- Journal article citation:
- New Bulletin, 355, November 2005, pp.19-21.
- Publisher:
- Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation
In 2004 the Disability Rights Commission commissioned some research questions which asked disabled people about the impact their condition had on them, what they feel and say about it and their attitudes towards disability discrimination and disability rights. The study highlighted three groups - the 'unaffected', the 'dealing', the 'hiding' and the 'bothered'. The article highlights the priorities for the Disability Rights Commission in terms of targeting its information and finding the right way to talk to people.
Discriminatory attitudes to people with intellectual disability or mental health difficulty
- Authors:
- LAU Joseph Tak-fai, CHEUNG Chau-Kiu
- Journal article citation:
- International Social Work, 42(4), October 1999, pp.431-444.
- Publisher:
- Sage
The integration of people with intellectual disability and mental health difficulty in the community is an issue in Hong Kong because it has encountered public resistance. Understanding the public's discrimination against them is of theoretical and practice concern. This survey of residents in Hong Kong examined associations of the public's personal interaction, education, age and sex with its discriminatory attitudes.
Associations between behaviours that challenge in adults with intellectual disability, parental perceptions and parental mental health
- Authors:
- WAITE Jane, et al
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 56(4), 2017, pp.408-430.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Objectives: This study examined parental perceptions of behaviours that challenge (CB) in their adult children with intellectual disability (ID), and explored whether perceptions mediated associations between CB and parental psychological distress. Design: A within-group correlational design was employed. Methods: Sixty-five parents reported on individuals with genetic syndromes and ID who had chronic CB. Parents completed the Illness Perception Questionnaire-Revised (IPQ-R) adapted to measure perceptions of self-injury, aggression or property destruction, alongside assessments of parental locus of control, attributions about behaviour, parental psychological distress, and CB. Results: A high proportion of parents evidenced anxiety and depression at clinically significant levels (56.9% and 30.8%, respectively). Contrary to predictions, psychological distress was not significantly associated with CB. The perception that the adult with ID exerted control over the parent's life mediated the association between CB and parental psychological distress. Few parents endorsed operant reinforcement as a cause of CB (< 10%). Conclusions: The high levels of psychological distress in parents is notable and of concern. Further research should consider the reasons why parents have causal attributions that might be inconsistent with contemporary interventions. Practitioner points: 1) Parents experience high levels of psychological distress while supporting adults with ID who engage in chronic behaviours that challenge; 2) A stronger belief that the adult with ID exerts control over the parent's life may mediate an association between CB exhibited by the individual with ID and parental psychological distress; 3) Few parents endorsed operant reinforcement as a cause of behaviours that challenge. (Publisher abstract)
Mental health staff views on improving burnout and mental toughness
- Authors:
- POSNER Zoe, JANSSEN Jessie, RODDAM Hazel
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Mental Health Training Education and Practice, 12(4), 2017, pp.249-259.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose: Burnout in mental health staff is acknowledged as a major problem. The purpose of this paper is to gain an understanding of mental health staff views on improving burnout and mental toughness in mental health staff. Design/methodology/approach: Ten participants from two mental health rehabilitation units across the north-west of England took part in a Nominal Group Technique. Participants consisted of mental health workers from varied roles in order to capture views from a multidisciplinary team. The main question posed to the staff was “What strategies and techniques do you think could help improve burnout and mental toughness in mental health staff”. Findings: The study revealed that the top three ideas to take forward to help improve burnout and mental toughness in mental health staff were improving the culture/organisation, improving staff wellbeing and education. Additionally, staff were highly motivated and enthusiastic about engaging in discussion about what could be done to improve their wellbeing and the importance of taking this forward. Originality/value: This study is unique in involving mental health staff in discussing their ways of improving their mental health. It is also unique as it has found the nine strategies to do this and these could be used in targeted training for mental health staff (Publisher abstract)
Current attitudes towards disabled people
- Authors:
- AIDEN Hardeep, McCARTHY Andrea
- Publisher:
- SCOPE
- Publication year:
- 2014
- Pagination:
- 20
- Place of publication:
- London
Drawing on the results of a series of research projects commissioned by Scope, this report looks at the attitudes and behaviours towards disabled people in the UK and the attitudes that disabled people themselves say they experience. It also considers the reasons for negative attitudes and what can be done to change them. The research comprised of a large-scale mixed methods project conducted by OPM and Ipsos MORI and three surveys conducted by Opinium. (Edited publisher abstract)