A Scoping Literature Review on Compassion-Focused Therapy for Individuals with Intellectual Disability

Abstract

Individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) are at a higher risk of shame and self-criticism and tend to make downward social comparisons. Compassion-focused therapy (CFT) is commonly used to address these issues in the general population, however, information on the adaptability and effectiveness of CFT for individuals with ID is limited. Thus, we conducted a scoping review of studies on CFT for individuals with ID, to accumulate and consolidate the information and provide a basis for future studies to further develop, alter, and implement CFT for individuals with ID. To conduct this review, we searched eight databases and included descriptive studies, reviews, and empirical peer-reviewed English and Dutch studies. We focused on ID and also included concurrent visual and intellectual disabilities, compassion-focused therapy, compassion, shame, self-criticism, and social comparison. Seven articles were included in the review. We found that CFT can be adapted for individuals with ID and can effectively reduce self-criticism and downwards social comparison. Thus, CFT can promote the well-being of individuals with ID. However, the methodologies of these studies had several limitations, for example, the lack of standardized instruments or protocols for individual or group therapy. While CFT is adaptable and clinically relevant for individuals with ID, its limitations need to be addressed in future studies. In this review, we highlighted and elaborated on the limitations of the research conducted and provided suggestions for the next steps in the field. We provided an overview of the current studies on CFT and ID and highlighted their positive therapeutic effects. Future studies should design robust protocols through collaborations between clinicians and researchers to provide clients with appropriate support and determine the clinical and statistical significance of CFT.

Kind minds: using the ‘compassionate kitbag’ in a compassion focused therapy group for adults with intellectual disabilities

“…There is, however, emerging evidence that CFT can be meaningfully adapted for people with ID (Cooper and Frearson, 2017; Goad, 2023) and lead to reductions in psychological distress (Rawlings et al , 2021; Willems et al , 2022).…”

“…Furthermore, group environments allow people to share experiences, receive validation or encouragement, develop socioemotional intelligence (Goad, 2023) and learn new ways of coping (Bates, 2005), which may help reduce shame. Studies have explored the acceptability and effectiveness of group CFT for people with ID (Clapton et al , 2018a; Goad and Parker, 2021; Hewitt et al , 2023; Willems et al , 2022). These studies demonstrate that CFT can be effectively adapted for people with ID and acceptably delivered in a group context.…”

A mixed methods evaluation of a compassion‐focused therapy group intervention for people with an intellectual disability

“…There is a growing literature around using CFT with people with intellectual disabilities Cowles et al (2020). A subsequent review of CFT with people with intellectual disabilities found that while adapted CFT can effectively reduce self‐criticism and downwards social comparison, robust research protocols are lacking in the literature (Willems et al, 2022). Additional strategies for improving the accessibility of CFT for this client group have been developed (e.g., Goad, 2023; Lucre & Clapton, 2021), which assist clinicians when designing interventions.…”