Interplay between representations,practices,and stigma variables towards people with intellectual disabilities among healthcare professionals: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Disparities in healthcare are observed among people with intellectual disabilities. They generally face stigmatisation and negative attitudes from healthcare professionals. The aim of this study is to investigate the link of diagnostic label and social distance on inclusive health representations and practices towards people with intellectual disabilities among healthcare professionals. We conducted an online survey of 163 healthcare professionals living in French-speaking Belgium. The results highlighted that the diagnostic label and a lower social distance predict better representations and practices in inclusive health. In addition, an analysis of mediation showed the mediating effect of social distance on the link between being in contact with people with intellectual disabilities (through employment) and better representations and practices in inclusive health. This study enabled us to assess the interplay between stigma variables and healthcare professionals’ representations and practices towards people with intellectual disabilities and to identify potential facilitators for promoting health equity.

Keywords

attitudes healthcare professionals intellectual disability intellectual disability literacy stigma

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Alonso-Sardón

Iglesias-de-Sena

Fernández-Martín

L. C.

Mirón-Canelo

J. A.

(2019). Do health and social support and personal autonomy have an influence on the health-related quality of life of individuals with intellectual disability? BMC health services research, 19(1), 1-10.

Bacherini

Havercamp

S. M.

Balboni

(2023). A new measure of physicians' erroneous assumptions towards adults with intellectual disability: A first study. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 67(5), 447-461.

Binder

Zagefka

Brown

Funke

Kessler

Mummendey

Leyens

J. P.

(2009). Does contact reduce prejudice or does prejudice reduce contact? A longitudinal test of the contact hypothesis among majority and minority groups in three European countries. Journal of personality and social psychology, 96(4), 843.

Breau

Baumbusch

Thorne

Hislop

T. G.

Kazanjian

(2021). Primary care providers’ attitudes towards individuals with intellectual disability: Associations with experience and demographics. Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, 25(1), 65-81.

Brown

Kalaitzidis

(2013). Barriers preventing high-quality nursing care of people with disabilities within acute care settings: a thematic literature review. Disability and Society, 28(7), 937-954.

Byron

Dieppe

(2000). Educating health professionals about disability:‘attitudes, attitudes, attitudes’. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 93(8), 397-398.

Chapman

H. M.

Lovell

Bramwell

(2018). Do health consultations for people with learning disabilities meet expectations? A narrative literature review. British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 46(2), 118–135. https://doi.org/10.1111/bld.12222

Corrigan

P. W.

Lee

E. J.

(2013). Recovery and stigma in people with psychiatric disabilities. Community mental health: Challenges for the 21st century, 3-21.

Cummins

Robert A.

Lau

Anna LD

. “Community integration or community exposure? A review and discussion in relation to people with an intellectual disability.” Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities 16.2 (2003): 145-157.

10.

Doherty

A. J.

Atherton

Boland

Hastings

Hives

Hood

Chauhan

(2020). Barriers and facilitators to primary health care for people with intellectual disabilities and/or autism: an integrative review. BJGP open, 4(3).

11.

Emerson

(2011). Health status and health risks of the “hidden majority” of adults with intellectual disability. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 49(3), 155–165. https://doi.org/10.1352/1934-9556-49.3.155

12.

Friedman

(2021). Social determinants of health, emergency department utilization, and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Disability and Health Journal, 14(1), 100964. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2020.100964

13.

Goffman

(1963). Stigma: Notes on the management of spoiled identity.

14.

Hemm

Dagnan

Meyer

T. D.

(2015). Identifying training needs for mainstream healthcare professionals, to prepare them for working with individuals with intellectual disabilities: A systematic review. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 28(2), 98–110. https://doi.org/10.1111/jar.12117

15.

Hergenrather

Rhodes

(2007). Exploring undergraduate student attitudes toward persons with disabilities: Application of the disability social relationship scale. Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, 50(2), 66-75.

16.

Lewis

Stenfert‐Kroese

(2010). An investigation of nursing staff attitudes and emotional reactions towards patients with intellectual disability in a general hospital setting. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 23(4), 355-365.

17.

Link

B. G.

Phelan

J. C.

(2001). Conceptualizing stigma. Annual review of Sociology, 27(1), 363-385.

18.

Logeswaran

Hollett

Zala

Richardson

Scior

(2019). How do people with intellectual disabilities construct their social identity? A review. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disability, 32, 533-542. https://doi.org/10.1111/jar.12566

19.

Long-Bellil

L. M.

Robey

K. L.

Graham

C. L.

Minihan

P. M.

Smeltzer

S. C.

Kahn

Alliance for Disability in Health Care Education . (2011). Teaching medical students about disability: the use of standardized patients. Academic Medicine, 86(9), 1163-1170.

20.

Mysliwiec

Saulicz

Kuszewski

Wolny

Knapik

Gogola

(2015). Self- evaluation of the preparation of physicians and physiotherapists to provide medical services to people with intellectual disability. Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 40(1), 104–110. https://doi.org/10.3109/13668250.2014.978844

21.

Pelleboer-Gunnink

H. A.

Van Oorsouw

W. M. W. J.

Van Weeghel

Embregts

P. J. C. M.

(2017). Mainstream health professionals’ stigmatising attitudes towards people with intellectual disabilities: a systematic review. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 61(5), 411–434. https://doi.org/10.1111/jir.12353

22.

Pelleboer-Gunnink

H. A.

van Weeghel

Embregts

P. J. C. M.

(2019). Public stigmatisation of people with intellectual disabilities: a mixed-method population survey into stereotypes and their relationship with familiarity and discrimination. Disability and Rehabilitation, 43(4), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2019.1630678

23.

Pelleboer-Gunnink

H. A.

van Oorsouw

van Weeghel

Embregts

(2021). Familiarity with people with intellectual disabilities, stigma, and the mediating role of emotions among the Dutch general public. Stigma and Health, 6(2), 173.

24.

Rasdale

A. E.

Warman

D. M.

Phalen

P. L.

(2018). An examination of perceptions of individuals with an intellectual disability, with and without co-morbid schizophrenia: effects of labels on stigma. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 62(6), 544-556. https://doi.org/10.1111/jir.12494

25.

Rinaldi

Batselé

(2023). “Is it my job?” An exploratory qualitative analysis of medical specialists’ adaptation strategies when addressing the health needs of people with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, 27(2), 388-403. https://doi.org/10.1177/17446295221095706

26.

Ryan

T. A.

Scior

(2016). Medical students’ attitudes towards health Care for People with intellectual disabilities: a qualitative study. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 29(6), 508-518.

27.

Scior

(2011). Public awareness, attitudes and beliefs regarding intellectual disability: A systematic review. Research in developmental disabilities, 32(6), 2164-2182.

28.

Scior

Addai‐Davis

Kenyon

Sheridan

J. C.

(2013). Stigma, public awareness about intellectual disability and attitudes to inclusion among different ethnic groups. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 57(11), 1014-1026.

29.

Scior

Furnham

(2011). Development and validation of the intellectual disability literacy scale for assessment of knowledge, beliefs and attitudes to intellectual disability. Research in developmental disabilities, 32(5), 1530-1541.

30.

Sousa

V. D.

Rojjanasrirat

(2011). Translation, adaptation and validation of instruments or scales for use in cross‐cultural health care research: a clear and user‐friendly guideline. Journal of evaluation in clinical practice, 17(2), 268-274.

31.

Stevens

J. P.

(2012). Applied multivariate statistics for the social sciences. Routledge.

32.

Thomas

Courtenay

Hassiotis

Strydom

Rantell

(2014). Standardised patients with intellectual disabilities in training tomorrow's doctors. The Psychiatric Bulletin, 38(3), 132-136.

33.

Thornicroft

Rose

Kassam

Sartorius

(2007). Stigma: ignorance, prejudice or discrimination? The British Journal of Psychiatry, 190(3), 192-193.

34.

Trollor

J. N.

Ruffell

Tracy

Torr

J. J.

Durvasula

Iacono

Lennox

(2016). Intellectual disability health content within medical curriculum: an audit of what our future doctors are taught. BMC medical education, 16, 1-9.

35.

United Nations . (2006). Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

36.

Urbanowicz

Parkin

van Dooren

Girdler

Ciccarelli

Lennox

(2020). The experiences, views, and needs of health professionals who provide care to adults on the autism spectrum. Research and Practice in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 7(2), 179–192. https://doi.org/10.1080/23297018.2020.1735943

37.

Van Wieringen

Ditlopo

(2015). An analysis of medical students training in supporting people with intellectual disabilities at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 40(4), 309–320. https://doi.org/10.3109/13668250.2015.1065312

38.

World Health Organization . (2020). Disability-inclusive health services toolkit: a resource for health facilities in the Western Pacific Region.

39.

Zeilinger

E. L.

Stiehl

K. A.

Bagnall

Scior

(2020). Intellectual disability literacy and its connection to stigma: A multinational comparison study in three European countries. PloS one, 15(10), e0239936.