ACT with adults with ID – an acceptability and feasibility study

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Acceptance and Commitment Therapy with adults with intellectual disability: an acceptability and feasibility study.

• IRAS ID

  270418

• Contact name

  Gemma Unwin

• Contact email

  G.L.Unwin@bham.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  University of Birmingham

• Duration of Study in the UK

  0 years, 6 months, 2 days

• Research summary

  Psychological flexibility reflects a process of how a person deals with stress, unpleasant thoughts and feelings. It is the ability to stay in contact with the present moment through the challenging demands of life, even when difficult thoughts and feelings arise. Psychological flexibility has been associated with quality of life and mental well-being. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) aims to increase psychological flexibility by teaching clients the positive psychological skills to accept events, develop clarity around personal values, and commit to behaviour change.
  Our proposed research will explore the process of ACT with people with intellectual disabilities (ID). ACT has been demonstrated as effective in alleviating psychological distress in adults with ID ,e.g. (Brown & Hooper, 2009; Pankey & Hayes, 2003). However, research is sparse and there is little evidence to support how it is being used, adapted or experienced. The present study therefore aims to explore the acceptability and feasibility of ACT-informed therapy for adults with ID.

  This is a small study funded by the University of Birmingham to explore the acceptability of using ACT with adults with ID. It is also a requirement for the completion of a Master of Research in Clinical Psychology, and will be submitted as part of a thesis. The proposed research will adopt a mixed methods design to evaluate the acceptability of ACT-informed therapy for adults with ID who present to a community learning disability service. Eight to fifteen participants will be recruited from new referrals and existing caseloads of the Solihull Community Learning Disability, Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS trust.

• REC name

  West Midlands - Solihull Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  20/WM/0101

• Date of REC Opinion

  5 Jun 2020

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion