Empowered or Discouraged? A Study of People with Learning Disabilities and their Experience of Engaging in Intimate Relationships

Abstract

Vulnerable people constitute the majority of referrals to occupational therapy services, due to age and social, psychological and economic circumstances. People with learning disabilities may fit all these categories. An argument has been put that vulnerable people should not be subjects in research (de Raeve 1994) and that there may be unacceptable risks in being a subject in a socially sensitive research project (Barnitt and Partridge 1999). However, avoiding research with people with learning disabilities would mean that the voice of these clients would not be heard and it is known that they have expressed the wish to be consulted and involved in research (Atkinson 1989).

A collaborative study was carried out with eight adults with learning disabilities who lived in a community residential home. Interviews were completed which dealt with aspects of intimate relationships. Three themes emerged from the interviews: the experience of intimate relationships, the future of a current relationship and the involvement of others in relationships. The findings showed that the people interviewed had a generally positive experience of such relationships. However, while the attitudes of staff and family towards intimate relationships were mostly empowering, some negative views still existed. The results have implications for occupational therapists working with people with learning disabilities.