Adults With Mild Intellectual Disabilities’ Experiences of Mental Health Problems: A Qualitative Study Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

Research addressing people with intellectual disabilities’ experiences of mental health problems has mainly focused on the perspectives of family members or professionals, or has been driven by service evaluation. Few studies have sought the views of people with intellectual disabilities about their own mental health experiences. This study explored the experiences of eight adult participants with mild intellectual disabilities who self-identified as having experienced anxiety, depression, and/or psychosis. Participants completed semi-structured interviews and data was analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Four superordinate themes emerged: distress, fear and isolation; damaging impact of relationships and people; negative view of self; and the challenge of “getting my sparkle back.” The themes identified in the participants’ accounts of their mental health experiences are discussed in relation to clinical and research implications.