Creative ways of talking: a narrative literature review concerning emotional support for adults with mild or moderate learning difficulties

Abstract

Adults with mild or moderate learning difficulties identified a need for more opportunities to access appropriate emotional support. A narrative literature review provides evidence that emotional unrest exists but receives little attention from supporters due to an emphasis on practical issues associated with an inclusion agenda. The review highlights a lack of research on emotional support for adults and explores reasons for this. Factors associated with dealing with emotional unrest, such as self-esteem / self-awareness, a person’s attitude to having learning difficulties, emotional competency and friendship issues are discussed. The value that people with learning difficulties place on support from others with learning difficulties, i.e. peer support, emerges as a theme and an argument is presented for further inclusive research in this area.