Feasibility and Acceptability of a Mental Health Website for Adults With an Intellectual Disability: Qualitative Evaluation.

Chloe Watfern,Katherine M Boydell,Peter Baldwin,Chris Rule,Chloe Heck

doi:10.2196/12958

Abstract

BackgroundElectronic mental health (e-mental health) programs for people with an intellectual disability are currently underexplored but may provide a way of mitigating some of the barriers that this population faces in accessing appropriate mental health services.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to examine the feasibility and acceptability of Healthy Mind, an e-mental health program for adults with an intellectual disability developed by the Black Dog Institute, focusing on the design and implementation of the website.MethodsA qualitative research design was used, which involved semistructured interviews and focus groups with people with an intellectual disability, support workers, and allied health professionals. People with an intellectual disability were also observed while using the website. A thematic analysis was used to interrogate the interview transcripts and observational field notes.ResultsParticipants found the content of the website informative and appreciated the many ways that the website had been made accessible to users. Participants voiced some differing requirements regarding the way information should be presented and accessed on the website. Acknowledging different types of support needs was identified as an important issue for website dissemination.ConclusionsThe Healthy Mind website promises to provide an excellent tool for people with ID and their supporters. This research has pragmatic implications for the future development and implementation of the program, while contributing to knowledge in the broader fields of e-mental health and inclusive design for people with an intellectual disability.

Highlights

As a clinical term, intellectual disability (ID) denotes a lifelong impairment of cognitive functions that is associated with difficulties in a range of domains including, for example, learning and communication [1]
The Healthy Mind website promises to provide an excellent tool for people with ID and their supporters
Despite early concerns regarding the suitability of psychological therapies for people with an ID [6], a recent meta-analysis found that appropriately modified cognitive behavioral therapies (CBTs) were an effective form of treatment [7]

Summary

Introduction

Background As a clinical term, intellectual disability (ID) denotes a lifelong impairment of cognitive functions that is associated with difficulties in a range of domains including, for example, learning and communication [1]. Individuals with an ID face many barriers to accessing mental health services, from a lack of appropriate services to issues with communication and diagnosis [8]. Digital mental health platforms have the potential to mitigate some of these barriers by providing readily accessible tools for both communication and treatment [9,10]. A plethora of such electronic mental health (e-mental health) programs are available for the general population, with substantial evidence to support the clinical effectiveness of many of these programs [11,12,13]. Electronic mental health (e-mental health) programs for people with an intellectual disability are currently underexplored but may provide a way of mitigating some of the barriers that this population faces in accessing appropriate mental health services

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Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion