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20 - Psychosocial interventions for people with intellectual disabilities

from Part III - Treatment and therapeutic interventions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 December 2009

By
Dave Dagnan
Edited by
Nick Bouras  and
Geraldine Holt
Dave Dagnan
Affiliation:
Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Director, University of Lancaster North Cumbria Mental Health and Learning Disability NHS Trust
Nick Bouras
Affiliation:
King's College London
Geraldine Holt
Affiliation:
King's College London
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Summary

Introduction

Psychosocial interventions have been described and evaluated with respect to a range of physical and mental health difficulties for people without intellectual disabilities (e.g. National Institute for Clinical Excellence, 2002) and are considered essential parts of the delivery of mental health services to people with severe mental health problems (Department of Health, 2001). The range of interventions described as ‘psychosocial’ is very broad, suggesting that the term is often used for any intervention that is not primarily medical. Currently, the only review of psychosocial intervention for people with intellectual disabilities (ID) and mental health problems identifies individual cognitive therapy as the main focus for psychosocial intervention (Hatton, 2002). Given the breadth of interventions that can be considered as psychosocial it is useful to consider the interventions taking place with the individual, in their immediate social environment, or within the wider social context and also to consider the structure of services that deliver such interventions.

  • Psychosocial interventions with the individual include supportive educational interventions, programmes that address the individual's perspective on their illness and its management; skills training in areas such as independent daily living, social skills, and skills to enable the individual to enter work or leisure settings, and problem or symptom-focused therapies.

  • Psychosocial intervention can take place within the immediate social context of the person — for example, using family interventions which help the family understand the nature of the difficulties that their family member experiences.

  • Psychosocial interventions can take place within the broader social context of the person through provision of supported housing or supported employment.

  • […]

Type
Chapter
Information
Psychiatric and Behavioural Disorders in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities , pp. 330 - 338
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2007

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