The Development & Evaluation of a Mindfulness Group Intervention for People with Intellectual Disabilities

A thesis submitted…”)Background: Research has shown that mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) can be effective in the treatment and management of a variety of psychological and physical health conditions. Whilst under researched, there is growing evidence to support the use of MBIs with individuals with intellectual disabilities (IDs) who may require adaptation to existing MBIs as a result of cognitive or other impairments. Method: This research dossier describes the development of an 8-week mindfulness group for adults with IDs. Two mindfulness groups were delivered by community practitioners. Participants completed self-report measures of anxiety and depression pre-intervention, postintervention and at follow-up. Participants were interviewed for their experience of the group and assessed for their ability to understand and engage with the basic concepts of mindfulness. Results: Participants reported a decrease in anxiety post-intervention which continued to decrease at follow-up five weeks after the final session of the mindfulness group. Selfreported depression also decreased post-intervention, however there was a slight increase at follow-up although this remained lower than baseline. The decrease in self-reported depression from pre-intervention to post-intervention was statistically significant. Participants were able to engage with, understand, enjoy and benefit from the mindfulness group and appreciated having the opportunity to meet with similar people with similar experiences. Conclusion: Results indicate that the mindfulness group had some positive effect on selfreported anxiety and depression states. Participant feedback coupled with the researcher’s own reflections offer direction for further adaptations that could be made to the mindfulness group and support the need for further research in this area