Trauma Focused Therapy and Learning Disabilities
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Trauma focused therapy and learning disabilities: The lived experiences of people with borderline to mild learning disabilities when receiving trauma focused psychological therapy.
IRAS ID
119753
Contact name
Theodora T Tsovili
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Tees, Esk & Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust
Research summary
The guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommend trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing as the treatments of choice for PTSD and trauma related symptoms. These refer mainly to the general adult population, but they have not been informed for people with learning disabilities. This forms a part of a general lack in research done from the perspective of these service users themselves regarding their experience of trauma, psychological therapy and psychological distress in general. Due to existing indications that people with learning disabilities can experience trauma and present trauma related symptoms in different ways that the general population, the current study will explore how this population experiences involvement in trauma-focused therapy, which includes both the aforementioned therapeutic approaches.
For the purpose of this, semi-structured interviews will be ustilised, which will be analysed with the use of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The aim is to add a new perspective to the already existing evidence base for the treatment of trauma related psychological distress, which will then inform the practice of trauma-focused therapy for people with learning disabilities. This may improve future therapeutic experience and outcomes, both from the service user’s and the practitioner’s point of view.REC name
North East - York Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/NE/0199
Date of REC Opinion
29 Aug 2013
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion