Outcomes and experiences of an adapted Dialectic Behaviour Therapy skills training group for people with intellectual disabilities

Accessible summary: Some people who find it hard to manage their emotions can be helped by a therapy called Dialectic Behaviour Therapy (DBT). Some studies show that DBT might help people with an intellectual disability. We ran a group to see if DBT helped people coming to the group to feel better and manage their difficult feelings more easily. Group members brought their support staff to the group. We asked people what they thought about the group and asked them to fill in some questionnaires to see whether they felt better. The group seemed to help people, even after the group ended. We think DBT might be a useful treatment for people with intellectual disabilities. Abstract: Background A growing body of evidence supports the use of Dialectic Behaviour Therapy with people with an intellectual disability. Various adaptation have been used in studies exploring the efficacy of this intervention. Method A Dialectic Behaviour Therapy DBT skills training group was attended by people with an intellectual disability and their support staff. Standardised measures of psychological well-being, overall functioning and psychological distress were taken before and after the group and at 4 months follow-up. Qualitative interviews were conducted and analysed using thematic analysis. Results Results suggested an improvement in all areas for three of the four participants, which were largely maintained at follow-up. Conclusions This study adds to the growing literature supporting the use of DBT with people with an intellectual disability. The role of support workers in supporting generalisation of skills is considered. Ideas for improving the quality of future studies are considered.