Effects of anger management training with mentally retarded adults in group treatment.

Abstract

A components analysis of a cognitive-behavioral anger management program was conducted with mentally retarded adults attending vocational training programs. Self-control training was given in one of four groups: relaxation training, self-instruction, problem solving, or a combined anger management condition. The dependent measures included self-reports, ratings of videotaped roleplays, and supervisor ratings. The results revealed decreases in aggressive responding over time and no significant between-group differences. The study suggests that anger management training with groups of mentally retarded adults may be effective.

A cluster randomised controlled trial of a manualised cognitive behavioural anger management intervention delivered by supervised lay therapists to people with intellectual disabilities

“…16 Prior to the development of these techniques, challenging behaviour by people with intellectual disabilities had traditionally been managed pharmacologically or behaviourally 31,32 and these methods are still widely used. 33,34 In the first study of a CBT-based anger management intervention, Benson et al 35 compared the effects of relaxation training, self-instructions, problem-solving, and an anger management programme including all three components. They reported that all four interventions were effective in decreasing anger when administered in a group setting.…”

“…Several studies, including some of the largest, 43,44 did not include a long-term follow-up, and with few exceptions 11,16,42 studies that did include long-term follow-up followed up only the intervention group, not the control subjects. 35 using the following two sets of search terms: (1) (anger or aggression) and [(learning or intellectual) and (disability or disabilities)) or (mental retardation)] and (2) (anger or aggression) and cognitive and (behaviour or behaviour) and therapy. These searches returned between 350 and 900 articles, which were searched by hand for studies that compared a cognitive-behavioural intervention for anger with a control group in adults with intellectual disabilities.…”

“…They reported that all four interventions were effective in decreasing anger when administered in a group setting. [35][36][37] Subsequently, a number of Phase II trials have compared variants of Benson's anger management programme with a waiting list control group. The 10 published studies are summarised in Table 1.…”

The Feelings Group: A Quantitative and Qualitative Evaluation of the Outcomes of a Smaller Anger Management Group for Clients who have a Learning Disability

“…This approach has received some support in single case studies (Black & Novaco, 1993), and small groups (Benson et al, 1986;Moore et al, 1997) with no control measures. There has also been a non-randomized controlled (Rose et al, 2000) and a randomised controlled trial (Willner et al, 2002), the latter being considered the gold standard for treatment evaluation (Department of Health, 1996).…”

The assessment of mood in adults who have severe or profound mental retardation

“…Examples of this emerging interest predominantly involve people with less severe mental retardation and include the areas of anger management (e.g. Benson, Rice & Miranti, 1986;Benson, 1994) and bereavement (e.g. Cathcart, 1995).…”