A pilot study of the use of physical intervention in the crisis management of people with intellectual disabilities who present challenging behaviour

The use of physical intervention in response to challenging behaviour in a nonspecialized intellectual disability service setting was found to be extremely high. In addition, staff confidence in their ability to prevent and respond to crisis situations involving challenging behaviour was extremely low. All staff within this setting received training in Strategies in Crisis Intervention and Prevention (SCIP). At three-month follow-up staff felt more confident in the management of crisis, and more supported by their organization. No significant effects on the number of incidents reported were found, although the data suggested an increased tendency to use a physical intervention relative to other methods following training. The implications of these findings for service design and further research are discussed.