‘Touching people in relationships’: a qualitative study of close relationships for people with an intellectual disability

Sullivan, Faye; Bowden, Keith; McKenzie, Karen; Quayle, Ethel

doi:10.1111/jocn.12375

Cited by 38 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Fourteen studies were selected for the metasynthesis [55][56][57][58][59][60][61][62][63][64][65][66][67][68], providing a total of 326 participants (167 women, 159 men), aged 18-78 years. There was a large heterosexual bias, with only five participants identifying as gay (one woman, four men), two of which described having had relationships with others of both genders.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…No study met all of the quality criteria. Only half of the studies [56,62,63,[65][66][67][68] met at least seven of the criteria, and the unmet criteria often made it difficult to assess the research process clearly.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…With the aims of most studies to focus on experiences, the wide range of ages within samples raised questions of heterogeneity, which would pose a risk of diluting the depth and credibility findings. This was a particular issue for those adopting a phenomenological approach [56,65,66]. The interpretations made in study six appeared further reaching than was warranted for a study with 15 participants (generalizing to 'PWID in Ireland'), and the extent to which the interpretation in study four [58] adhered to the inductive approach inherent in grounded theory was questionable, since the research was embedded in (and led by) the context of sexuality as hazardous for PWID.…”

Section: Quality Appraisalmentioning

confidence: 91%

“…Positive views about intimate relationships were evident in all but two studies [58,66]. Most participants not in a relationship expressed a desire to be [55,57,59,60,62,63,67], with the alleviation of feelings of loneliness often cited as a primary function.…”

Section: Why I Want To Be In An Intimate Relationshipmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…Some participants, despite being in intimate relationships, rejected physical intimacy outright as 'dirty', 'yucky' [58,63], shameful, wrong or dangerous [58,60,63,[65][66][67], or viewed it as an 'affair' (seeming to link it to secret and immoral portrayals seen depicted on television [60] Negative experiences of physical intimacy all related to sexualized behavior [57,59,63,64,66]. For some this was getting 'caught red handed' having sex [57], for others, unfulfilling or upsetting experiences arose with their partners; agreeing to painful sexual acts [63], engaging for a partner's benefit, or feeling pressured by the actions of their partner [63,64].…”

Section: Physical Intimacymentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Views and Experiences of People with Intellectual Disabilities Regarding Intimate Relationships: A Qualitative Metasynthesis

2017

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The aims of this review were to systematically identify, critically appraise and synthesize the results of existing qualitative literature exploring the views and experiences of intimate relationships amongst people with intellectual disabilities. Fourteen peer-reviewed articles were identified through a systematic search of eight databases, reference lists, citations, and relevant journals. The identified articles were appraised for quality, then synthesized using a metaethnography approach. No study met all quality criteria and references to ethical approval were often lacking. Interpretation of the findings suggested three key themes: the meaning of intimate relationships, external constraints and facilitators, and managing external constraints. Though many people with intellectual disabilities desire and benefit from intimate relationships, they experience restrictions that others do not, which can lead to isolation and loneliness. Intimate relationships are not always necessarily linked with sexual behavior; therefore, intimate relationships warrant their own focus in future research, as well as in education and training for people with intellectual disabilities and their caregivers. Within this, a commitment to transparency over research processes is needed, in particular with reference to how ethical approval was obtained, since this has been a shortcoming of research with this focus to date.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Quality Appraisalmentioning

confidence: 91%

Section: Why I Want To Be In An Intimate Relationshipmentioning

confidence: 95%

Section: Physical Intimacymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Views and Experiences of People with Intellectual Disabilities Regarding Intimate Relationships: A Qualitative Metasynthesis

2017

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Don't go it alone: Locating the sexual health curricula available to families of students with intellectual disability

Snider,

Contino,

Simoni

et al. 2023

Psychology in the Schools

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Students with intellectual disabilities (ID) have reduced access to sexuality education at school, tasking families with filling the gap. This limited access contributes to persistent health inequities, psychosocial risk, and reduced self‐determination for individuals with ID. To understand the resources that families may encounter when filling this service gap, a naturalistic scoping review and content analysis of ID‐specific sexual health curricula (SHC) was conducted. This analysis found a limited number of SHC available to family members who may seek them out online, and even fewer SHC designed for the specific needs of family‐led delivery. While curricula identified in this study generally include the minimum recommended content areas for comprehensive sexuality education, they less frequently provide actionable guidelines for caregivers tasked with adapting teaching practices and outcomes assessment to the diverse profiles of students with ID. By understanding the SHC available to families of students with ID, school psychologists can improve their partnerships with families, disseminate needed resources, implement collaborative intervention practices, and advocate for inclusive sexuality education practices.

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Choice, Relationships, and Sexuality: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

Löfgren-Mårtenson

2020

Choice, Preference, and Disability

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‘Touching people in relationships’: a qualitative study of close relationships for people with an intellectual disability

Abstract: Disseminating these findings may increase awareness of the importance of physical contact in the close relationships of people with an intellectual disability and promote positive support arrangements.

Cited by 38 publications

References 33 publications

Views and Experiences of People with Intellectual Disabilities Regarding Intimate Relationships: A Qualitative Metasynthesis

Views and Experiences of People with Intellectual Disabilities Regarding Intimate Relationships: A Qualitative Metasynthesis

Don't go it alone: Locating the sexual health curricula available to families of students with intellectual disability

Choice, Relationships, and Sexuality: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

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