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‘More together than apart’: The evaluation of a virtual course to improve mental health and well‐being of adults with intellectual disabilities during the COVID ‐19 pandemic
Author(s) -
St. John Laura,
Volpe Tiziana,
Jiwa Muhammad Irfan,
Durbin Anna,
Safar Yousef,
Formuli Fatima,
Thakur Anupam,
Lake Johanna,
Lunsky Yona
Publication year - 2022
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.13024
Subject(s) - mental health , attendance , pandemic , psychology , population , covid-19 , qualitative research , well being , clinical psychology , gerontology , psychiatry , medicine , disease , environmental health , psychotherapist , social science , pathology , sociology , infectious disease (medical specialty) , economics , economic growth
Background To address the growing concerns over poor mental health experienced by adults with intellectual disabilities due to the COVID‐19 pandemic, a national virtual mental health course was delivered and evaluated. Methods This mixed methods study utilized both qualitative and quantitative assessments. Participants were 27 adults with intellectual disabilities who participated in the 6‐week course. Participants completed measures of self‐efficacy and well‐being at three time points and qualitative satisfaction measures at post and follow‐up. Results Attendance was high and the course was feasible and acceptable to participants. Positive changes related to mental health self‐efficacy were detected ( p = .01), though mental well‐being did not improve. Conclusion The study provided evidence for the feasibility and value of the course for this population. Future research should examine how virtual courses could support the population in terms of pandemic recovery and how courses may work for individuals who are less independent.