Co-design and development of a multi-component anxiety management programme for people with an intellectual disability

Purpose This paper aims to understand the lived experience of people with intellectual disability of their anxiety and of being co-design partners in developing a multi-component approach to the management of anxiety. Design/methodology/approach The development of an anxiety manual and programme was part of a service development which allowed existing and established psychological therapies to be adapted for people with intellectual disability. A qualitative approach was used to better understand the views of people who experienced anxiety on a daily basis. The feedback generated was used to make modifications to the manuals and the anxiety management programme. Findings The study has demonstrated the value of involving people with intellectual disability in the co-production of an anxiety management programme. Additional findings identified the real-life challenges and experiences of the impact anxiety has on people’s lives. Originality/value To our knowledge, this is the first study to involve people with intellectual disability in developing an anxiety management programme as co-production partners. This paper underlines the value of understanding and involving people as co-production partners in developing clinical interventions.