V1. An observational study of adults with LD and challenging behaviour
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Person-centred support and challenging behaviour in adults with learning disabilities: an observational study (student study).
IRAS ID
206971
Contact name
Angela Hassiotis
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University College London
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Z6364106/2016/05/19 health research, UCL Data Protection Registration
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 25 days
Research summary
It has been estimated that 10-15% of people with intellectual disabilities (ID) display some form of challenging behaviour (CB). Although there are certain personal characteristics that will predispose an individual to develop CB (e.g. gender, age, level of ID), it is generally accepted that CB is the end result of an interaction between the individual and the environment in which s/he lives in, including those providing care.
In recent years best practice recommendations have widely acclaimed person centred-approaches as the gold standard of care with great importance placed on inclusion, choice and autonomy.
Despite the fact that person-centred approaches have been widely recommended there is a scarcity of research investigating them in relation to outcomes such as CB.
The aim of the present study is to investigate whether there is a relationship between CB and the care received by individuals living in community settings supported by paid carers.
Eligible participants will be a maximum of 20 adults with ID and CB who have previously taken part in a multi-centre randomly controlled trial (Positive Behaviour Support study; www.ucl.ac.uk/positive-behaviour-support, HTA Project number 10/104/13) and whose carers previously completed questionnaires regarding their care practices as part of an additional PhD project. Participants will be living in the community in England and supported by paid carers in various accommodation types (e.g. supported living, residential care homes). They will be observed at one time point, in their own homes, over the period of approximately one hour. Momentary time-sampling will be used to record residents’ behaviour or activities and the quality of the support they receive including involvement in activities, interactions with others and choice availability. Individuals will only be observed in the communal areas. Personal care will not be observed.
Detailed field notes will complement the data and inform completion of the Active Support Measure, a 15-items measure of support quality.
Inter-observer reliability will be checked for 20% of the observations.
Direct-observation is chosen as the method of inquiry, as self-report questionnaires may be subject to bias (e.g. social desirability); observations provide an objective perspective not filtered by the lived experiences of those observed.REC name
London - Harrow Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/LO/1488
Date of REC Opinion
24 Nov 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion