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A mindfulness-based group for young people with learning disabilities: a pilot study
- Authors:
- THORNTON Victoria, WIILLIAMSON Rachel, COOKE Brownwen
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 45(4), 2017, pp.259-265.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Accessible summary: 1) This study talks about a group for young people with learning disabilities; 2) The group helped the young people to practice mindfulness; 3) Mindfulness practices can help when young people feel worried, angry or upset; 4) The young people in the group gave really helpful feedback that will help to make the next group even better. Background: Mindfulness is becoming increasingly reported as an effective way to support well-being and reduce mental health difficulties. Materials and Methods: This study reports on the development and pilot of a mindfulness-based group for young people with learning disabilities and their carers. Results: Group participants reported that the group was helpful. Reports from carers show that the young people continued to use mindfulness-based practices in their daily lives even after the completion of the group. Conclusion: Mindfulness can be effective and accessible for young people with learning disabilities. More research is needed to increase our understanding of how and why participation in a mindfulness-based group is helpful to young people with learning disabilities. (Edited publisher abstract)
What effect does transition have on health and well-being in young people with intellectual disabilities? A systematic review
- Authors:
- YOUNG-SOUTHWARD Genevieve, PHILO Christopher, COOPER Sally-Ann
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 30(5), 2017, pp.805-823.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Background: Transition to adulthood might be a risk period for poor health in people with intellectual disabilities. However, the present authors could find no synthesis of evidence on health and well-being outcomes during transition in this population. This review aimed to answer this question. Method: PRISMA/MOOSE guidelines were followed. Search terms were defined, electronic searches of six databases were conducted, reference lists and key journals were reviewed, and grey literature was searched. Papers were selected based on clear inclusion criteria. Data were extracted from the selected papers, and their quality was systematically reviewed. The review was prospectively registered on PROSPERO: CRD42015016905. Results: A total of 15 985 articles were extracted; of these, 17 met the inclusion criteria. The results of these articles were mixed but suggested the presence of some health and well-being issues in this population during transition to adulthood, including obesity and sexual health issues. Conclusion: This review reveals a gap in the literature on transition and health and points to the need for future work in this area. (Publisher abstract)
Resilience in children and young people with intellectual disabilities: a review of literature
- Journal article citation:
- Advances in Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities, 11(3), 2017, pp.86-97.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose: Building the resilience of children with intellectual disabilities (ChID) can help reduce the personal, social and economic costs associated with mental ill health among such children. The purpose of this paper is to review the research evidence on resilience in ChID and to suggest areas for further research. Design/methodology/approach: Journal articles published in the last 20 years were searched in on-line databases to find potential papers for this review. The inclusion criteria were to search for published journal articles covering the theme of resilience in ChID and their families. All identified titles and abstracts were screened which resulted in 50 articles. These were scrutinised more thoroughly and 34 remaining articles were selected for review. Findings: Resilience is a dynamic process involving interactions between various risk and protective processes both internal and external to the individual that act to mediate the influences of adverse life events. Five key themes were identified within the literature which helped to form a picture of the current understanding of resilience among ChID and their careers. These were increased risk factors associated with ID, the role of personal attributes on resilience, family and resilience, schooling and resilience, and cultural factors which enhance resilience. Originality/value: Despite the consistency with which poor outcomes for ChID have been reported there is little investigation of the specific causes, contributory factors and processes that might improve them. This paper contributes to greater understanding of resilience factors for children and young people with ID and provides areas for further research. (Publisher abstract)
‘There’s a lot of places I’d like to go and things I’d like to do’: the daily living experiences of adults with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities during a time of personalised social care reform in the United Kingdom
- Authors:
- HAMILTON L.G., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Disability and Society, 32(2), 2017, pp.287-307.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Adult social care services in the United Kingdom have undergone a period of transformation over recent years, characterised by a drive towards personalised care. Concurrently, social care budgets have been significantly reduced. This study aimed to explore the daily living experiences of adults with mild/moderate intellectual disabilities, who are at risk of no longer meeting eligibility criteria for statutory support. Focus group discussions, which included both people with intellectual disabilities and support workers, were analysed thematically. Two broad themes are presented: independence and agency; and social capital and well-being. While some participants echoed ideas central to the personalisation narrative, a number of contextual barriers to achieving greater independence and agency were discussed. Moreover, greater independence was not a desired goal for all participants. The findings highlight the potential mismatch between personalised social care, as delivered within significant budget constraints, and the needs of adults with intellectual disabilities. (Publisher abstract)
The nature of quality of life: a conceptual model to inform assessment
- Author:
- ALBORZ Alison
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 14(1), 2017, pp.15-30.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
The phenomenon of quality of life (QoL) has been subject to ongoing debate and many models have been proposed. Over the latter half of the 20th century, QoL models have proliferated, particularly in relation to the population with intellectual disabilities (ID) which have arguably improved living conditions and helped to guard against abuse. While this is a complex phenomenon, there is agreement across a wide literature that QoL has two distinct aspects relating to the individual (whether disabled or not) and the resources necessary for a “good” QoL. Considerable support is also provided for a number of diverse but robust domains. However, how the “nature” of QoL is conceptualized is unclear. The article reviews multidisciplinary research on QoL and goes on to present a theoretical model of the nature of QoL that encompasses identified domains. The model is based on Maslow's hierarchy of needs (1987) which defines its scope; Sen's Capability Approach (1985), which elaborates the resource context impacting QoL; and Ryan and Deci's Self-Determination Theory (2000), which describes person-context interactions important to personally valued QoL. This conceptualization was framed within four facets—Foundational well-being; Psychosocial well-being; Status; and Autonomy—each of which have two aspects: “individual,” describing personal needs that, when fulfilled, are associated with better QoL, and “context,” describing resources necessary to enable individual need fulfilment. The proposed QoL model demonstrates an intellectually lucid structure supported by literature. It does not attempt a definitive specification of all QoL constituents but proposes that delineation must be determined within the particular circumstances of a proposed assessment. Once determined, an exploratory approach to assessment is proposed. It is suggested this model represents a useful “atlas” on the nature of QoL to guide development of assessments aiming to inform service developments or interventions. (Publisher abstract)
An evaluation of the effectiveness of a ‘Five Ways to Well-being’ group run with people with learning disabilities
- Authors:
- MAHONEY-DAVIES Gerwyn, et al
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 45(1), 2017, pp.56-63.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Background: The ‘Five Ways to Well-being’ document presents five ways in which people in the general population may be able to improve their well-being. This study evaluates the use of a ‘Five Ways to Well-being’ group in a population of people with learning disabilities. Materials and Methods: Twelve participants who attend a day support service engaged in a ten-week group programme based on the Five Ways to Well-being. Scores on the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale provided a baseline, and scores at the first, middle and final session were entered into repeated measures analysis of variance or nonparametric equivalents. Results: Scores suggest there was no difference between baseline and final session on either of these scales (P > 0.05). There was a significant difference between baseline and final session on a clinician-devised measure of well-being of the aims of the group (F(2,18) = 3.6, P = 0.049), and this effect is likely to be carried by an increase in the group's use of mindfulness skills. Qualitative feedback suggests that the group was useful and prompted changes in participants' well-being. Conclusions: Participants found the group useful, and scores suggest an increase in mindfulness practice, but there is no evidence that running a Five Ways to Well-being group with people with learning disabilities will improve their well-being. However, this was not a clinical group of people with mental health concerns, and conclusions cannot be made about the usefulness of the model in this population. (Publisher abstract)
A new protocol to assess the subjective wellbeing of adolescents with intellectual disability
- Author:
- BLAKE Grant A.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 14(4), 2017, p.298–308.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Subjective well-being refers to an individual's satisfaction or happiness with their life. The construct is often measured with the Personal Wellbeing Index (PWI), which has been adapted for children of different ages, and adults with an intellectual disability (ID). However, there is no subjective well-being measure for adolescents with an ID. This study reports on the PWI-School Children with Intellectual Disability (PWI-SCwID), which trialled a pretesting Likert training protocol to enable valid completion of the questionnaire. From this, it was aimed that the subjective well-being of adolescents with ID would be compared to adults and adolescents without ID, and adults with ID. The PWI-SCwID was administered to 42 adolescents with ID. They had a mean age of 15.86 years (SD = 1.70) and 52% were female. Participants were recruited from special education schools and dance classes for adolescents with Down syndrome. Thirty-seven participants (88%) validly completed the PWI-SCwID. Of the 17 participants with Down syndrome, who are most likely to have moderate to severe intellectual disability, 76% returned valid questionnaires. Comparison of the current sample with other samples of adolescents and adults without ID found no significant differences in subjective well-being. Adults with ID from another study reported lower happiness with their standard of living than the current sample. The higher completion rate reported in this study is likely due to the implementation of training protocols that taught and assessed the participants’ ability to use a Likert-type scale. The high completion rate of participants with Down syndrome suggest that the revised protocols enable the collection of well-being data previously believed to be unattainable. The implication is that evaluating policy and interventions may consider the subjective well-being of a vulnerable group who typically have limited capacity to advocate for themselves. (Edited publisher abstract)
Football teams for people with intellectual disabilities living in the community: “it helps your self-esteem and that, don’t it?”
- Author:
- WHITE Rose
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual Disabilities and Offending Behaviour, 8(4), 2017, pp.201-211.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose: People with intellectual disabilities (ID) can be vulnerable to developing mental health problems. It has been found that participating in regular exercise can help to improve emotional well-being, both in typically developing people and those with ID. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the experiences of community clients with ID who have engaged in a football training programme, and the perceived impacts on attitudes, mood and behaviour. Design/methodology/approach: Interviews with seven patients from generic or forensic community ID services were conducted. The transcripts were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Findings: Two master themes were identified from the interviews, “Striving” and “Togetherness”. Originality/value: The most important factors related to taking part in the football programme were the social, emotional and personal growth associated with being part of a team and general enjoyment of being part of something. Although aspects of football knowledge and physical fitness were still evident, their impact seemed to be less significant. The experience of football was overwhelmingly positive. (Publisher abstract)
Improving the health and wellbeing of people with learning disabilities: guidance for social care providers and commissioners (to support implementation of the Health Charter)
- Author:
- PUBLIC HEALTH ENGLAND
- Publisher:
- Public Health England
- Publication year:
- 2017
- Pagination:
- 32
- Place of publication:
- London
This guidance provides advice for commissioners and social care providers on implementing the Health Charter 2017, which aims to help people with learning disabilities get better access to medical services to improve their health. It sets out each of the 10 charter statements, provides information about why each one is important and provides practical tips and links to further resources. Case studies are also included to illustrate what can go wrong if the charter statements are not followed. The statements cover areas such as: understanding and applying the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005, listening to family carers, providing accessible information on health and wellbeing, promoting access to screening tests, tackling over medication, and facilitating annual health checks. (Edited 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)