Self-Reported Life Events, Social Support and Psychological Problems in Adults with Intellectual Disabilities

Background Several studies have reported relationships between life events and psychological problems in people with intellectual disabilities. In contrast to the general literature, data have consistently been collected via proxy informants and putative moderator variables such as social support have not been examined.

Materials and Methods Thirty-eight adults with intellectual disabilities completed three psychological measures in a semi-structured interview setting: the Bangor Life Events Schedule for Intellectual Disabilities Self-Report, the Brief Symptom Inventory, and the Social Network Map.

Results Exposure to life events was positively associated with measures of psychological problems. Social support was generally not found to be associated with psychological problems, although more psychological problems were reported by participants who also reported more criticism of them by others.

Conclusion Findings are broadly consistent with the proxy-report literature, though self-report measures may prove more sensitive. A number of methodological issues, clinical implications, and future research directions are discussed.