Practitioner consensus in the use of cognitive behaviour therapy for individuals with a learning disability

Abstract

Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) has been acknowledged as one of the most successful treatments for mental health problems. However, only a small number of practitioners engage in CBT with people with learning disabilities. A group of eight clinical psychologists who currently use CBT with this population gave details about their work in an attempt to gain a consensus on how to adapt CBT. The collective experiences of a wider group of experts produced a wealth of knowledge and suggestions to promote the use of CBT with this client group. Results suggested that although CBT needs to be creatively delivered, it does not necessarily need extensive adaptation.