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Effectiveness of brief training in cognitive-behaviour therapy techniques for staff working with people with intellectual disabilities
- Authors:
- DODD Karen, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Advances in Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities, 7(5), 2013, pp.300-311.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose: There is little research addressing the delivery of training for health professionals who are interested in using cognitive-behaviour therapy (CBT) techniques as an adjunct to their current role. This paper describes the establishment and evaluation of a CBT training course to develop CBT skills in staff working with people with intellectual disabilities in Trust healthcare settings. The course would enable staff to learn how they could incorporate these skills into their daily practice to help them understand and work more effectively with people with intellectual disabilities. Design/methodology/approach: A CBT training course was designed to teach staff the use of a number of basic and specific CBT techniques and principles that staff could use within their current roles. Specific issues in relation to people with intellectual disabilities were included, e.g. understanding cognitive deficits as well as cognitive distortions. The course ran for six sessions on a fortnightly basis, followed by a two-month follow-up session. Participants completed a pre- and post-assessment questionnaire and kept a reflective diary. Findings: The training clearly focused on teaching skills that were feasible for staff to use in their own work settings. The evaluations, especially from the reflective diaries and the post-course questionnaires clearly demonstrated that this aim was achieved. Originality/value: This was a pilot study as there has been no previously published evidence of using this approach within intellectual disabilities services. A further training course has been planned to continue evaluating the effectiveness of this approach. (Publisher abstract)
Evaluation and effectiveness of pain recognition and management training for staff working in learning disability services
- Authors:
- MACKEY Ellen, DODD Karen
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 39(3), September 2011, pp.243-251.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
This study asked managers of learning disability services how they recognised pain and how they managed pain for people with learning disabilities, before and 3 to 5 months after training. Participants included 197 managers of learning disability services in Surrey, England. Training covered pain thresholds, pain recognition and management, health action plans and medicines policies. At the end of training attendees were asked about their service’s management of pain. Findings revealed that after training, significantly more services were using communication tools such as picture scales and more pain recognition tools such as the Abbey pain scale and the Disability Distress Assessment Tool. Use of pain management strategies did not change significantly. There was a significant increase in the number of services including information on how a person displays pain, the possible causes of pain and how a person likes their pain managed in their health action plan. The authors concluded that staff training helps services to be more aware of pain and improves the range of methods used.
Pain in people with learning disabilities in residential settings: the need for change
- Authors:
- BEACROFT Monica, DODD Karen
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 38(3), September 2010, pp.201-209.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Many people with learning disabilities find it difficult to communicate effectively that they are in pain or how they are feeling. This audit investigated residential staff beliefs around pain thresholds, and the strategies they adopt to recognise and manage pain in people with learning disabilities. A structured interview was held with 58 staff from 33 residential homes and supported living services across Surrey. The results demonstrated that pain is not being effectively recognised or managed by residential staff, and that people with learning disabilities are not getting timely and appropriate medication for their pain. Some staff still believed that people with learning disabilities have a higher pain threshold than people without a learning disability, and let this belief affect how they manage pain. The results highlighted the need for training for staff in how to recognise and manage pain, as well as the need for appropriate pain recognition tools and communication aids to be utilised to support people with learning disabilities to be able to communicate their pain to others. It also indicated the need for better communication between staff and other services that the person with learning disabilities accesses.
'Feeling poorly': report of a pilot study aimed to increase the ability of people with learning disabilities to understand and communicate about physical illness
- Authors:
- DODD Karen, BRUNKER Jo
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 27(1), 1999, pp.10-15.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
This article presents the findings of a pilot study which investigated whether people with learning disabilities can understand and communicate more effectively symptoms of illness. Assessments for GPs, clients and carers were designed in order to ascertain the nature of consultations currently taking place, and the level of awareness that clients had of their body and being ill. Also looks at the assessment and teaching resource developed for the project.