Direct Staff's Experiences in Recognizing and Managing Psychiatric Symptoms in People With Intellectual Disabilities and Behaviour of Concern in Supported Accommodations

The aim of this study is to explore the experiences of direct staff in managing psychiatric symptoms in people with intellectual disabilities and behaviors of concern in supported accommodation. The study has a quantitative, cross-sectional design using a questionnaire. Data were collected from 197 direct staff members working in supported community-based accommodation using an adapted version of the Checklist of Challenging Behaviour (CCB). The results show that staff experienced slight or moderate difficulty in managing psychiatric symptoms. The ratings were 38% for anxiety, 37% for compulsive behavior, 31% for manic behavior, and 49% for depressive symptoms. Direct staff members in supported accommodation face challenges in managing psychiatric symptoms and require educational training to improve their knowledge and skills. One viable option would be to implement web-based training programs. Further research and evaluation are imperative to improve access to mental health care for individuals with intellectual disabilities.