Background: A 2005 review by Beart, Hardy and Buchan, asking how people with intellectual disabilities view their social identities, has been widely cited, indicating this important topic needs an updated review. This review covers research on how people with intellectual disabilities view their ascribed label; to what extent they ascribe it to themselves; and whether they recognize it as devalued in society. Method: RapidreviewmethodologyusingPsycINFO,citation-andhand-searching identified relevant studies. Results: The 16 studies identified indicate that the majority are aware of their ascribedlabel,oracknowledgetheyare"different".Othersrejectit,focusingonalternative attributes or roles. Most recognize others view the label negatively and express feelings of shame, anger and powerlessness. Conclusions: The review advances our understanding of social identity formation in people with intellectual disabilities, with implications for future research and practice to support construction of positive social identities and stigma resistance. K E Y W O R D S identity, intellectual disabilities, label, review, stigma 534 |

Background/Aims: UK national clinical guidelines recommend assessment of patients in prolonged disorders of consciousness in specialist centres. Working in these centres can be challenging, but little is currently published about what staff experience or how best to support them. We explored the views of health care professionals working with prolonged disorders of consciousness patients in one specialist rehabilitation unit. Methods: Six focus groups were run with allied health professionals, medical and nursing staff in discipline-specific groups to explore the rewards and challenges of working with patients in prolonged disorders of consciousness, and what staff felt they needed to assist them. Transcribed data were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings: Five positive themes emerged: seeing change, supporting families, quality of the team and clinical input, work complexity and its personal impact. Three negative themes were identified: dealing with death and ‘living death’, dealing with family expectations and distress, and the negative professional and personal impact on staff. In terms of what would assist staff, three themes emerged: greater support with family communication, additional prolonged disorders of consciousness-specific training and further development of assessments of awareness. Conclusions: Staff recommendations on what would assist them could be used to inform the development of high-quality approaches to assessment and care in prolonged disorders of consciousness.

This article is based on a presentation given to the DCP Group of Trainers in Clinical Psychology (GTiCP) Annual Conference in Stratford-upon-Avon in November 2016. It sets out the background for training in Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) as part of clinical psychology training and examines current training practice as well as areas for development.