'Standing up for Myself' (STORM): Development and qualitative evaluation of a psychosocial group intervention designed to increase the capacity of people with intellectual disabilities to manage and resist stigma.

BACKGROUND: People with intellectual disabilities are at risk of experiencing stigma and require the skills and confidence to deal with stigma in their daily lives. METHOD: Development and piloting of a 5-session manualised psychosocial group intervention designed to increase the capacity of people with intellectual disabilities aged 16+ to manage and resist stigma. Ten pre-existing groups (N = 67) in third sector and education settings participated. Interviews with participants (n = 26), facilitators (n = 9) and significant others (n = 7) 2-4 months after the intervention assessed perceived impact. RESULTS: Perceived benefits of the intervention for participants included increased understanding, improved connections with others, drive for advocacy, increased activity and self-efficacy, and opportunity to process difficult events and emotions. Differential impact depending on individuals' pre-existing self-advocacy skills was noted. CONCLUSIONS: This early-stage study indicates that further evaluation is merited to examine feasibility and outcomes of the STORM intervention.

The psychological and social impact of self-advocacy group membership on people with intellectual disabilities: A literature review.

BACKGROUND: There is no one agreed definition of self-advocacy, but it can be taken to include actions and concepts such as standing up for one's rights and self-determination. METHOD: A review of studies examining the psychological and social impact of self-advocacy group membership on people with intellectual disabilities was conducted. Systematic searches of electronic databases (PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science and ProQuest's Sociology Database), and manual searches of reference lists and citations, identified 12 studies. RESULTS: "Empowerment" and "increased confidence" were frequently reported outcomes. "Belonging," increased opportunities for social connections and changed self-identity were also key themes. CONCLUSIONS: Limitations of the review included difficulty categorizing outcomes, and limitations of the evidence base included a lack of quantitative studies. Implications of the review include an observation that the role of self-advocates in the research literature could be extended to the co-construction of research agendas.

Work and social adjustment in patients with anorexia nervosa.

OBJECTIVE AND METHODS: The Work and Social Adjustment Scale (WSAS) assesses patients' perceptions of impairment in everyday functioning and has been reported as a simple and reliable self-report measure in different psychiatric disorders. This study compared WSAS data from an anorexia nervosa (AN) patient group with that from healthy controls (HCs) and published data from other patient groups. A total of 160 female participants (AN, 77; HC, 83) completed the WSAS as well as measures of eating disorder symptom severity and brief assessments of anxiety and depression. RESULTS: Work and Social Adjustment Scale scores for the AN group were found to be in the severely impaired range, whereas the scores for those within the HC group indicated very little, or no impairment. Total WSAS scores in the AN group were significantly correlated with severity of clinical symptoms, and eating disorder-specific symptoms were the best predictor of social and occupational functional impairment. The greatest impairment in the AN group was reported in the realm of social leisure. CONCLUSIONS: Consistent with reports in other clinical populations, it is suggested that the WSAS could be an extremely useful and meaningful measure to assess social and occupational functioning in people with eating disorders, in addition to eating disorder-specific assessments.