Building psychological resilience in support staff caring for people with intellectual disabilities: Pilot evaluation of an acceptance-based intervention

Support staff in intellectual disability services may experience significant work-related stress. The aim of the present study was to pilot an intervention called the Promotion of Acceptance in Carers and Teachers (PACT). Fourteen staff provided data on work stress and general wellbeing before and after attending PACT workshops over 1.5 days. A waiting list control subgroup of six staff also completed measures over a 6 week period. Support staff distress reduced significantly from pre-intervention to follow-up, whereas their reports of work-related stressors increased slightly. Psychological wellbeing and work stress did not change over time in the waiting list sample. Although the study is not tightly controlled, these pilot data suggest that the PACT may have a beneficial effect on staff wellbeing whilst not necessarily directly reducing experience of work stress. Thus, the PACT shows promise as a means of developing psychological resilience in support staff.