TY - JOUR

T1 - Coping with Death and Bereavement: A Proactive Intervention Program for Adults with Intellectual Disability

AU - Inmaculada Fernández-Ávalos, Maria

AU - Fernández Alcántara, Manuel

AU - Cruz-Quintana , Francisco

AU - Turnbull, Oliver

AU - Rosario Ferrer-Cascalesa, Rosario

AU - Nieves Pérez-Marfil, Maria

PY - 2023/10

Y1 - 2023/10

N2 - IntroductionLike the broader population, people with intellectual disability (ID) experience the process of grief after loss of a loved one. However, there are a series of risk factors characteristic of this population that can hinder the development of adaptive grief, including cognitive and affective aspects. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a brief intervention program in people with ID to improve understanding of the concept of death, the grief processes, and adaptive attitudes.MethodA mixed method design that included a controlled, randomized research design, was used. A total of 38 people with ID participated. The variables measured were: grief, biological and cognitive concept of death.ResultsThe program significantly increased understanding in two dimensions of the concept of death, Inevitability and Universality, and demonstrated a greater understanding and healthier attitudes regarding death and grief.ConclusionsIt is recommended that, in future research studies, education on death be worked as early as possible in people with ID, in order to prevent future pathological grief.

AB - IntroductionLike the broader population, people with intellectual disability (ID) experience the process of grief after loss of a loved one. However, there are a series of risk factors characteristic of this population that can hinder the development of adaptive grief, including cognitive and affective aspects. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a brief intervention program in people with ID to improve understanding of the concept of death, the grief processes, and adaptive attitudes.MethodA mixed method design that included a controlled, randomized research design, was used. A total of 38 people with ID participated. The variables measured were: grief, biological and cognitive concept of death.ResultsThe program significantly increased understanding in two dimensions of the concept of death, Inevitability and Universality, and demonstrated a greater understanding and healthier attitudes regarding death and grief.ConclusionsIt is recommended that, in future research studies, education on death be worked as early as possible in people with ID, in order to prevent future pathological grief.

KW - intellectual disability

KW - concept of death

KW - bereavement

KW - intervention program

U2 - https://doi.org/10.1080/19315864.2023.2169420

DO - https://doi.org/10.1080/19315864.2023.2169420

M3 - Article

VL - 16

SP - 339

EP - 362

JO - Journal of Mental Health Research in Intellectual Disabilities

JF - Journal of Mental Health Research in Intellectual Disabilities

SN - 1931-5864

IS - 4

ER -