Service user experiences of DBT in adult community LD teams -V1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Service user experiences of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy within adult community learning disability teams: A qualitative exploration.
IRAS ID
230422
Contact name
Emma Louise Woolfall
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Bangor University
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 28 days
Research summary
Adults with learning disabilities are at an increased risk of experiencing mental health difficulties and emotional distress (APA, 2013). As such, individuals with a learning disability, like anybody else, should be able to access a full range of psychological therapies (BPS, 2016). Whilst historically, individuals with a learning disability have been excluded from psychological therapies, governmental strategies now emphasise the need for services to be adapted to meet the needs of individuals with a learning disability.
Research has begun to focus on the efficacy of adapted psychological interventions for individuals with learning disabilities, and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) is one such approach. DBT aims to help individuals develop skills to regulate emotions, tolerate distress and manage relationships, subsequently reducing unhelpful behaviours (Linehan, 1993). There are important reasons for ensuring that DBT is adapted so that it can be accessed by individuals with a learning disability, such as the fact that such individuals are particularly likely to have experienced invalidating environments and subsequent psychological and emotional difficulties.
The development of adapted DBT services for individuals with a learning disability is now being considered internationally and across a number of settings (McNair et al., 2016) and studies have reported promising outcomes such as reductions in aggression and risk-taking behaviour (e.g. Brown et al., 2014; Hall et al., 2013; Lew et al., 2006). Whilst this is promising, there remains a paucity of research within this field and there is insufficient evidence to draw firm conclusions regarding the efficacy of DBT among this population. There is a necessity for an enhanced understanding of its accessibility and suitability for individuals with a learning disability. This study therefore aims to further our understanding of service user experiences of adapted DBT in community adult learning disability services, in order to augment interventions and enhance treatment outcomes.
REC name
Wales REC 5
REC reference
17/WA/0321
Date of REC Opinion
25 Oct 2017
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion