Psychopharmacological Intervention. II: Teacher Perceptions of Psychotropic Medication for Students with Learning Disabilities

Epstein, Michael H.; Singh, Nirbhay N.; Luebke, Jerry F.; Stout, Chris E.

doi:10.1177/002221949102400806

Cited by 20 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Overall, the present staff believed their level of training in psychotropics was poor. This supported both seminal and more contemporary studies in this area of non-medical staff knowledge and training (Gadow, 1983;Singh et al, 1990Singh et al, , 1994Singh et al, , 1996Epstein et al, 1991;Christian et al, 1999;Heslop et al, 2005). Similar findings exist in terms of staff desires for an increased and improved quality of training (Christian et al, 1999).…”

Section: Knowledge and Trainingsupporting

confidence: 75%

Psychotropic medications and adults with intellectual disabilities: care staff perspectives

Lalor¹,

Poulson

2013

Advances in Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities

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Purpose -Adults with intellectual disabilities are the most psychotropically medicated population of all. Non-medically trained care staff with whom these individuals spend the majority of their time are generally poorly trained in issues surrounding psychotropic medication. Much of the research related to the experiences of staff working in intellectual disability services has focused on medically trained professionals, and clients, and has been of a quantitative nature. Very little attention has been paid to care staff, their experiences, and through a qualitative approach. The purpose of this paper is to address this issue. Design/methodology/approach -The current study employed a semi-structured interview methodology to explore the experiences of, and impact on, care staff in relation to psychotropic medication usage in adults with intellectual disabilities living in long-term residential care. Eight full-time, experienced care staff were interviewed and data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (Smith et al., 2009). Findings -The paper demonstrates an array of concerns for staff, such as the negative impact upon client quality-of-life, the ethical implications of the medications' regime, and the relationship perceived by care staff with the organisation management; and a significant lack of training. The limited field of previous research demographically comparable to the present paper was analysed for findings. Originality/value -The paper helps expand the current literature on experiences of care staff for people with intellectual disabilities from their own perspective, explores the emotional impact of the organisation's treatment of clients, and offers a range of recommendations in terms of theory, clinical practice and research.

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Section: Knowledge and Trainingsupporting

confidence: 75%

Psychotropic medications and adults with intellectual disabilities: care staff perspectives

Lalor¹,

Poulson

2013

Advances in Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities

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“…These differences are not dependent on socio-economic factors or educational level but on the trust in the doctor [ 14 ]. Hyperactivity and hallucinations/delusions are the main problems for teachers that could lead to the use of pharmaceutical treatment [ 28 ]. In our sample, there was no correlation between the parental attitudes and the severity of the child's problem.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Parental attitudes and opinions on the use of psychotropic medication in mental disorders of childhood

et al. 2007

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BackgroundThe limited number of systematic, controlled studies that assess the safety and efficacy of psychotropic medications for children reinforce the hesitation and reluctance of parents to administer such medications. The aim of this study was to investigate the attitudes of parents of children with psychiatric disorders, towards psychotropic medication.MethodsA 20-item questionnaire was distributed to 140 parents during their first contact with an outpatient child psychiatric service. The questionnaire comprised of questions regarding the opinions, knowledge and attitudes of parents towards children's psychotropic medication. Sociodemographic data concerning parents and children were also recorded. Frequency tables were created and the chi-square test and Fisher's exact tests were used for the comparison of the participants' responses according to sex, educational level, age and gender of the child and use of medication.ResultsRespondents were mostly mothers aged 25–45 years. Children for whom they asked for help with were mostly boys, aged between 6 and 12 years old. A total of 83% of the subjects stated that they knew psychotropic drugs are classified into categories, each having a distinct mechanism of action and effectiveness. A total of 40% believe that there is a proper use of psychotropic medication, while 20% believe that psychiatrists unnecessarily use high doses of psychotropic medication. A total of 80% fear psychotropic agents more than other types of medication. Most parents are afraid to administer psychotropic medication to their child when compared to any other medication, and believe that psychotherapy is the most effective method of dealing with every kind of mental disorders, including childhood schizophrenia (65%). The belief that children who take psychotropic medication from early childhood are more likely to develop drug addiction later is correlated with the parental level of education.ConclusionParents' opinions and beliefs are not in line with scientific facts. This suggests a need to further inform the parents on the safety and efficacy of psychotropic medication in order to improve treatment compliance.

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“…One-third of teachers claimed to have been "often" involved and another one-third claimed to have been "always" involved in the initial referral for AD/HD (Singh, et al, 1990). Yet, it seems that teachers felt their training and knowledge about the use of medications for treating children with AD/HD was inadequate (Epstein, Singh, Luebke, & Stout, 1991;Singh, et al, 1990). Similar to college students, it is not clear how knowledgeable teachers are about the behavioral, social, educational, and side effects of stimulant medication treatment.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of information on perceptions of stimulant medication efficacy for treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

1999

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A study on the perceptions of stimulant medications prescribed for children with attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) was conducted. Students, enrolled in introductory level psychology courses at a midwestern university participated voluntarily in the study (N= 36). After viewing a video that simulated the feelings a child with AD/HD experiences, participants were randomly assigned to two treatment groups. The popular information group read an article on AD/HD similar to that which is most often presented to the public. This article included personal testimonials and lacked a discussion of side effects and areas where the medications have not been demonstrated to be efficacious. The scientific information group read a page of information that was compiled from the scientific literature and included both the positive effects, side effects, and areas where the medication has not been demonstrated to be efficacious. All participants then completed a questionnaire regarding their perceptions of the efficacy of the medications. A second scale measured participants' likelihood of recommending the use of stimulant medications for children with suspected AD/HD. Two 2×2 between‐subjects ANOVA's were employed. There were main effects for the type of article that was read, but no main effects for gender of participant. No significant interactions were found. There were no differences found between the gender of participants and their perceptions of stimulant medications based on the reading material presented to them. However, the type of information presented to the participants did influence their view of the efficacy of stimulant medications. In addition, the type of reading material also influenced the participants' view of the safety and recommended use of stimulant medications prescribed for children with AD/HD. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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Psychopharmacological Intervention. II: Teacher Perceptions of Psychotropic Medication for Students with Learning Disabilities

Cited by 20 publications

References 16 publications

Psychotropic medications and adults with intellectual disabilities: care staff perspectives

Psychotropic medications and adults with intellectual disabilities: care staff perspectives

Parental attitudes and opinions on the use of psychotropic medication in mental disorders of childhood

Effects of information on perceptions of stimulant medication efficacy for treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

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