Clinical competencies and training needs of psychologists working with adults with intellectual disability and comorbid mental ill health

Abstract

Objectives Psychologists play a pivotal role in meeting the mental health needs of people with intellectual disabilities. The aim of this study was to investigate the perceptions of Australian psychologists who work with adults with intellectual disabilities and mental ill health regarding their clinical competencies, workplace supports and training needs. Method One hundred and nine psychologists in Australia completed a self‐report online survey exploring clinical attitudes and practices when working with adults with intellectual disabilities and mental ill health. Provisional, generalist and clinical psychologists from a range of disability and non‐disability work settings were recruited. Results Findings revealed that provisional, generalist and clinical psychologists reported no significant differences in levels of agreement on self‐perceived clinical competencies in conducting mental health assessments. Psychologists in private practice and in non‐government organisations reported more adequate workplace resources to support mental health assessments for people with intellectual disabilities than did psychologists in government settings. Psychologists across work settings expressed similar views in self‐perceived clinical competencies and workplace training supports. The majority of psychologists reported limited formal academic training in intellectual disabilities and expressed a need for continual and specialised training in mental health and intellectual disabilities. Conclusions Implications for further training in mental health and intellectual disabilities highlight the need to cater to the specific needs of psychologists in the field.

Supporting People with Intellectual Disability Who Have Experienced Abuse: Clinical Psychologists' Perspectives

“…While generally this was perceived positively as it enables services to respond to many different needs, in the case of sexual abuse, it implies little opportunity for specialism or the development of expertise. Psychologists have been reported to perceive themselves to have limited opportunities for training and the development of specific skills in ID (Man et al, ). This issue was prevalent in the current study, where psychologists described little access to appropriate supervision, expertise, and time to review the relevant literature.…”

What makes generalist mental health professionals effective when working with people with an intellectual disability? A family member and support person perspective

“…There appears to be a synergy between many of the attributes identified by family members and support persons and those already expected of generalist mental health professionals, for example attributes such as working with the person and key stakeholders, or designing and implementing a multimodal mental health intervention. This synergy is at odds with the low level of capacity and confidence reported by professionals when working with people with an intellectual disability (Edwards et al., ; Lennox & Chaplin, , ; Man et al., ; Torr et al., ; Weise & Trollor, ). Potential contributors may include tension regarding the roles and responsibilities of disability and health services in this clinical domain (Bennett, ), or the way different professional groups define their scope of work and areas of expertise (Jones, ; Lewis & Lewis, ).…”

“…A skilled and equipped mental health workforce is one of the critical components of the delivery of quality mental health services (United Nations Committee on Economic Social and Cultural Rights, ). However, researchers have repeatedly identified that many mental health professionals lack capacity, and report low levels of confidence, knowledge and skills in the area of intellectual disability mental health (Edwards, Lennox, & White, ; Lennox & Chaplin, , ; Man, Kangas, Trollor, & Sweller, ; Torr et al., ; Weise & Trollor, ). One explanation for this may be that the attributes currently expected of the generalist workforce do not adequately prepare professionals to meet the rights of people with an intellectual disability.…”

Service satisfaction and helpfulness ratings, mental health literacy and help seeking barriers of carers of individuals with dual disabilities

“…In addition to previous negative service experiences, mental health literacy which refers to "knowledge and beliefs about mental disorders which aid their recognition, management or prevention" (Jorm ness and identification of mental health problems in adults with intellectual disabilities. Additionally, mental health clinicians (including psychiatrists and psychologists) continue to struggle with mental health diagnosis with the intellectual disability population (Edwards, Lennox, & White, 2007;Man, Kangas, Trollor, & Sweller, 2017).…”

“…Given the often complex presentations of individuals with intellectual disabilities (Costello & Bouras, 2006), and the heterogeneous nature of intellectual disability due to varied levels of intellectual functioning, verbal ability and concurrent diagnoses (such as congenital syndromes, medical conditions and physical disabilities), it can be difficult to distinguish behavioural presentations associated with an intellectual disability from mental health presentations. Additionally, mental health clinicians (including psychiatrists and psychologists) continue to struggle with mental health diagnosis with the intellectual disability population (Edwards, Lennox, & White, 2007;Man, Kangas, Trollor, & Sweller, 2017). Additionally, mental health clinicians (including psychiatrists and psychologists) continue to struggle with mental health diagnosis with the intellectual disability population (Edwards, Lennox, & White, 2007;Man, Kangas, Trollor, & Sweller, 2017).…”