“When other people try to understand”: exploring the experiences of people with intellectual disabilities, who also have mental health problems
Advances in Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities
ISSN: 2044-1282
Article publication date: 9 June 2020
Issue publication date: 9 June 2020
Abstract
Purpose
Recent guidelines from the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence highlight that service users (SUs) with intellectual disabilities and co-occurring mental health problems rarely get the opportunity to share their experiences of mental health services. Over the past 20 years, policy documents have stated that these individuals (SUs) must be included in decisions about their care. Research suggests that often this is not the case. Therefore, this paper aims to create a space for SUs to share their experiences of mental health services, and what they found helpful.
Design/methodology/approach
A focus group was held with five SUs, two psychologists and two researchers. The audio recording of the discussion was transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis.
Findings
Three main themes were identified, namely, “relationships with others”, “inclusion and communication” and “challenges”. This focus group highlighted that although some SUs felt supported, they reported having little control in their lives and wanted to be listened to.
Research limitations/implications
Including a SU in the planning and facilitation of the focus group would have made this research more inclusive.
Practical implications
The implications of this research suggest that by listening to and involving SUs and developing more person-centred services, recovery rates may increase as the services provided would be more targeted.
Originality/value
Very little research has previously been conducted to explore SUs’ experiences. This paper highlights the value of being heard and the knowledge that is often lost if the authors do not take the time to listen to the people for whom a service is designed.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Thank you to Amy Badelley and Kieron Beard for introducing me to a very different, positive and beautiful way of working and completely changing my opinion about qualitative analysis. Thank you to Damien Lee for supporting me through all the late night edits and with the computer technology without which you would not be reading this. Thank you to my parents for supporting me on a 6 year journey to get my first article published, we did it!
Citation
Mattock, S.M., Beard, K. and Baddeley, A. (2020), "“When other people try to understand”: exploring the experiences of people with intellectual disabilities, who also have mental health problems", Advances in Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities, Vol. 14 No. 4, pp. 91-101. https://doi.org/10.1108/AMHID-07-2018-0032
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited