The effect of mindfulness for adults with an intellectual disability and their care team

Background
Mindfulness has shown to be an effective therapy for, among others, pain, stress, anxiety and depression [1]. People with an intellectual disability (ID) have a higher risk of developing anxiety and depression. Therefore, a mindfulness training, called mindfulness-ID, was developed for this group, adapted from the well-known mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) training. In this adapted version, two training protocols were developed: one for the person with ID and one for their care team. In a previous pilot study for persons with a visual and intellectual disability, the mindfulness training has shown promising results [2].
Methods
A multiple case study was done with three adults with mild to moderate ID - two of whom also had a visual disability - and their care teams, consisting of four professionals per team. The persons with ID, living in home care facilities, received individual mindfulness-ID training, given by specialized mindfulness trainers. The mindfulness sessions had a duration of one hour and were given weekly for twelve weeks. During the same period, the care teams received mindfulness group training: five sessions of each two hours. For the persons with ID, quality of life, global mood, behavior and self-management ability were assessed. For the care teams, self-efficacy and mindfulness attention awareness were assessed. These concepts were measured using questionnaires, four weeks before the mindfulness training (T0), at the start of the training (T1), directly after the training (T2) and four weeks after the training ended (T3). In addition, the persons with ID were asked to rate their mood, using emoji’s, a few times per day during the training period, using a mobile app.
Results/Aims
There was a substantial drop-out of both persons with ID and care professionals, among others due to the high workload of the care professionals. Preliminary analysis shows some promising results. The mobile app ratings show that all clients reacted positively to the mindfulness training: their mood was “happy” on the days they received mindfulness training. Furthermore, the persons with ID and care professionals who participated until (at least) T2 rated the mindfulness training positively in a social validity questionnaire. The training was rated by the clients as pleasant and useful. The professionals indicated that their own mindfulness skills increased and that the behavior of their client had changed positively. A full overview of the results will be presented during the conference.
Conclusions
This study may contribute to the knowledge on mindfulness training for adults with ID.
Disclosures
No disclosures
References
1. Chiesa, A., & Serretti, A. (2010). Psychological medicine, 40(8), 1239-1252.
2. Lievense, P., Hokke, H., & Sterkenburg, P. S. (2014). Onderzoek en praktijk: Tijdschrift voor de LVG-zorg, 12(2), 7-18.