Understanding the impact of DBT on adults with a learning disability
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Developing an understanding of the impact of DBT on adults with a learning disability with emotion regulation difficulties.
IRAS ID
103826
Contact name
Sean Liam Slater
Contact email
Research summary
In 2009 the Hereford adult learning disability psychology service established a Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) service for adults with a learning disability.
This service is offered to individuals with 'Mild' to 'Moderate' learning disabilities who have severe emotion regulation difficulties and engage in risky behaviours such as suicidal or para-sucidal behaviours, self-harm, excessive consumption of alcohol, risky sexual behaviour or verbal or physical aggression.
The service consists of weekly one-to-one therapy; skills training in groups; peer supervision meetings for therapists; carers skills groups for those supporting the attending adults with a learning disability; and telephone consultation where therapists are availiable to provide 'coaching' outside treatment sessions.
A literature review has identified relatively few published qualitative studies on DBT programmes and none have involved individuals with a learning disability.
It is planned to use Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to examine the personal meaning and sense-making of those individuals attending and providing an adult learning disability DBT service. This qualitative data will be obtained through focus groups.
Three groups will be established, a client group, carers group and a therapist group. The client group will consist of clients who have participated in DBT whole programme for a minimum of 6 months. Participants of the carers focus group will be selected for inclusion if they have attended the carers group for a minimum of 1 year. The therapist group will be those who have either facilitated the skills or carers group and delivered 1-1 therapy for a minimum of 6 months.
Aims of study
1. To explore the experience of individuals with a learning disability
receiving DBT.
2. To explore with carers their experience of participating in a DBT carers
group.
3. To explore with therapists their experience of the application of DBT with
this client group.REC name
London - Brent Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/LO/1038
Date of REC Opinion
8 Oct 2013
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion