An evaluation of an emotion regulation programme for people with an intellectual disability

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effectiveness of the Transformers programme on individual's use of appropriate emotion regulation strategies.

Design/methodology/approach

Five people with an intellectual disability participated in the Transformers programme and took part in the current study. The intervention was evaluated using the Profile of Anger Coping Skills (PACS) and incident reports. The PACS was completed by participants and their caregivers.

Findings

The majority of participants demonstrated increases in self- and caregiver-reported use of appropriate emotion regulation strategies following their involvement in the Transformers programme. However, treatment gains were not always maintained at follow-up. Three of the participants also exhibited fewer incidents of challenging behaviour after taking part in the programme.

Originality/value

Overall, the results provide preliminary support for the continued use of the Transformers programme with people with an intellectual disability who have emotion regulation difficulties. It is recommended that further research be carried out with a larger sample size, a control group, and a longer follow-up period.

Citation

McWilliams, J., de Terte, I., Leathem, J. and Malcolm, S. (2014), "An evaluation of an emotion regulation programme for people with an intellectual disability", Therapeutic Communities: The International Journal of Therapeutic Communities, Vol. 35 No. 3, pp. 105-118. https://doi.org/10.1108/TC-02-2014-0003