Premium
Exploring the ability of individuals with an intellectual disability to generate and use a compassionate image
Author(s) -
Brougham Laura,
Pert Carol,
Jahoda Andrew
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.056
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1468-3148
pISSN - 1360-2322
DOI - 10.1111/jar.12749
Subject(s) - compassion , intellectual disability , psychology , mindfulness , distressing , clinical psychology , developmental psychology , psychiatry , chemistry , political science , law
Background There is a growing interest in adapting third‐wave therapies such as mindfulness for people who have intellectual disabilities. This study explored their ability to generate and use a compassionate image. Method Nineteen people with an intellectual disability and twenty people without were recruited from further education colleges. A compassion‐focused therapy technique was adapted to help participants generate their own compassionate image, and examine whether they could use their images in potentially distressing situations. Results With appropriate support, participants with intellectual disabilities were just as able as those without disabilities to generate their own compassionate image. They were also able to generate self‐soothing statements. Conclusions The participants’ success in generating compassionate images suggests this approach may have clinical utility with people who have intellectual disabilities. The next question is whether this client group can use this technique to deal with personally salient stressors.