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Mental health crisis information for people with intellectual disabilities
- Authors:
- HEMMINGS Colin, OBOUSY Shaymaa, CRAIG Tom
- Journal article citation:
- Advances in Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities, 7(3), 2013, pp.135-142.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
This study explores whether mental health crisis information could be modified to be made accessible and meaningful for people with intellectual disabilities. Personalized information to help in a mental health crisis was recorded on folded A4 sized sheets that could be carried in a conveniently sized wallet. Service users were recruited from the psychiatry of learning disabilities outpatient clinics in Croydon, UK. A total of 20 service user participants who had mild intellectual disabilities as well as mental health problems agreed to participate. Three quarters of the participants carried their crisis information wallets on a daily basis for six months before evaluation. They and their carers expressed positive feedback about them carrying the crisis information. No one carrying the information actually experienced a mental health crisis in the six months follow up period so their usefulness in such crises could not be evaluated. However, they were unexpectedly used in other non-mental health settings and reported to have been helpful. Although the sample size was small the findings suggested that the carrying of crisis information might be a helpful measure for some people with intellectual disabilities. A further, larger scale trial is warranted. (Edited publisher abstract)