An investigation of supported decision making in pregnancy in PLD.

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  An investigation of supported decision making in pregnancy in people with learning disabilities (PLD): from the multiple perspectives of service-user, family/social support network and professional network. A grounded theory study.

• IRAS ID

  95398

• Contact name

  Rhiann Jamieson

• Sponsor organisation

  Royal Holloway University of london

• ISRCTN Number

  ISRCTN

• Research summary

  Decision-making can be seen as a process that is dependent on both cognitive and contextual factors. Therefore good decision-making is dependent on an individual??s cognitive abilities, the context of their life (past experiences, family opinion, peers) and on the quality of information and support available to the person making the decision (McGaw & Candy, 2010). Contextual factors may be particularly salient in people with learning disabilities (PLD) in decisions made surrounding parenting. Given the importance of the support network in the decision both to go on and have the child (if the pregnancy is identified at an early enough stage for this decision to be able to be made) and in later outcomes for parent and child, this study proposes to extend on previous research investigating decision making in people with learning disabilities to include a member of their family support system and a member of staff involved in their care. The objective of the study is to investigate supported decision-making in pregnancy in PLD from the perspective of service-user, family-member and professional involved in their care. Semi-structured interviews will be used to collect data from 9 to 15 participants (service-user, family member and professional). They will be recruited from the Hammersmith and Fulham Learning Disability Service. The data will be collected and analysed using grounded theory. This may allow for generation of an overall model of decision-making before and during pregnancy. This study aims to identify the factors that are important in a PLD??s decision to become a parent. It aims to investigate how mothers, family support systems and staff flunce the decisions that are made throughout the process. Furthermore, studies looking at decision-making and family-planning have not been carried out in the UK, and this study aims to generate culturally relevant information for UK and NHS services.

• REC name

  London - Central Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  12/LO/0444

• Date of REC Opinion

  5 Apr 2012

• REC opinion

  Favourable Opinion