Search results for ‘Subject term:"learning disabilities"’ Sort:
Results 1 - 2 of 2
Mental health services for adults with intellectual disabilities – what do service users and staff think of them?
- Authors:
- KROESE Biza Stenfert, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 26(1), 2013, pp.3-13.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Mental health services for services users with intellectual disabilities remain deficient both in terms of quality and access. The aim of this qualitative study was to investigate service users', support staff and community team members' views of the services currently provided to adults with intellectual disabilities and mental health problems and what they consider to be desirable qualities for staff to possess. Two different methodologies were used to collect data. First, 2 focus groups were conducted with service users who have intellectual disabilities and mental health problems and 2 focus groups were conducted with a variety of staff with recent experience of intellectual disabilities services. Second, individual interviews were conducted with 12 staff members employed in residential and community intellectual disabilities services. The data were analysed using interpretive phenomenological analysis. The identified themes were: being interested, communication, competence-promoting support, past/present/future links, prevention, reviews and liaison, working with carers, looking after staff, staff training/supervision and interface between services. A number of suggestions for improving services are identified and discussed in the context of current service policies and procedures.
Gender issues for people with intellectual disabilities and mental health problems: asking what service users and staff think
- Author:
- KROESE Biza Stenfert
- Journal article citation:
- Advances in Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities, 7(4), 2013, pp.181-190.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
The current qualitative study aims to investigate service users’, support staff's and community team members’ views of gender differences in cause and presentation of mental health problems, whether current services respond differently to men and women with mental health problems and areas in which services can become more gender sensitive. Two focus groups were conducted with service users with intellectual disabilities and mental health problems in addition to two focus groups with a variety of staff. Subsequently, individual interviews were conducted with both male and female staff members employed in residential and community intellectual disability services. The number of participants totalled 54 (16 service users and 38 staff). Thematic analysis was adopted in order to identify dominant themes in the discourse of these stakeholder groups. The analysis produced a number of themes which include: compliance versus challenge; vulnerability; expression of emotion; gender equality; same sex support; caring qualities; and boundaries. A number of suggestions for improving services are discussed in the context of the current findings. (Publisher abstract)