LD Service Users and Challenging Behaviour
Research type
Research Study
Full title
How Service Users with Learning Disabilities Understand Challenging Behaviour and Approaches to Managing it
IRAS ID
179733
Contact name
Aoife Clarke
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Lancaster University
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 8 months, 22 days
Research summary
The current study aims to examine how service users with learning disabilities understand their own challenging behaviour, as well as their perceptions of the factors and processes that have shaped these understandings. The study will also explore the influence of particular constructions of challenging behaviour on service user sense of identity, relationships and quality of life. The study will further explore service user perceptions of useful and less useful interventions and approaches to managing challenging behaviour. An example interview guide covering these topics has been developed in consultation with service users with learning disabilities for the purpose of the study. Service users who are accessing any service for People with Learning Disabilities and who present with “challenging behaviour” will be eligible for participation in the study. The definition of challenging behaviour includes any behaviour "of such intensity, frequency or duration that the physical safety of the person or others is placed in serious jeopardy, or behaviour which is likely to seriously limit or deny access to the use of ordinary community facilities" (Emerson, 1995). Services will be asked to consider service-users who may be eligible for the project and meet the inclusion criteria (see Section A), and discuss the project with them. Service users who are interested in participating can then contact the researcher themselves, contact the researcher with assistance from staff, or provide contact details and consent to be contacted by the researcher. Semi-structured individual interviews will then be conducted, where possible on the service premises. Interviews will be recorded on a Dictaphone supplied by the University, and are expected to last approximately 60 minutes. Interviews will then be transcribed and analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), a qualitative data analysis technique.
REC name
East Midlands - Derby Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/EM/0394
Date of REC Opinion
18 Sep 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion