Psychological Therapies with People who have Intellectual Disabilities

Abstract

Historically, many people with intellectual disabilities (ID) were considered unable to take part in psychological therapies. This view has changed considerably, and there has been an increasing focus on the development of psychological therapies for people with ID, including methods to help improve the accessibility of treatment. Within this chapter, cognitive-behavioural therapy, mindfulness, dialectical behaviour therapy, behavioural therapy, and psychodynamic therapy are reviewed. There is emerging evidence to indicate that a range of psychological therapies are effective with people who have ID, but a lack of large-scale and well-designed clinical trials investigating a range of psychological interventions remains problematic.