Is the amount of exposure to aggressive challenging behaviour related to staff work-related well-being in intellectual disability services? Evidence from a clustered research design

Background: Previous research has demonstrated an association between aggressive challenging behaviour (CB) and reductions in work-related well-being for intellectual disability (ID) support staff. Much of this research has used subjective measures of CB. Aims: To examine whether exposure to aggressive CB is associated with reduced work-related well-being in staff working in ID residential settings across the UK. Methods and procedure: A cross-sectional analysis was undertaken as part of a randomised trial; 186 staff from 100 settings completed questionnaires on their CB self-efficacy, empathy, positive work motivation, and burnout. Objective measures of aggressive CB in the preceding 16 weeks were collected from each setting. Outcomes and results: There was little association between staff exposure to aggressive CB and work-related well-being. Clustering effects were found for emotional exhaustion and positive work motivation, suggesting these variables are more likely to be influenced by the environment in which staff work. Conclusions and implications: The level of clustering may be key to understanding how to support staff working in ID residential settings, and should be explored further. Longitudinal data, and studies including a comparison of staff working in ID services without aggressive CB exposure are needed to fully understand any association between aggressive CB and staff well-being.