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Over a decade ago “Psychotherapy and learning disabilities” was published by the UK Royal College of Psychiatrists. It was decided by the Royal College and British Psychological Society’s faculties for people who have ID to revise and update this report. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Experts in the field were invited to make a contribution on their approach covering method, adaptations, service user views and outcomes.

A great deal has changed in the last decade in terms of service development and research resulting in a much wider range of therapies being made available and there being a growing evidence base.

Further work needs to be carried out to make such information accessible to carers and service users.

The report is a useful resource for professionals involved in the support of the mental health and emotional needs of people who have ID.

The report should help expand the range of therapies available to people who have ID who need then so they can live more fulfilling lives.

The report provide extensive coverage of the range of psychological therapies available to people who have ID along with their evidence base.

The novel coronavirus and associated restrictions have resulted in mental health services across the UK having to adapt how they deliver psychological assessments and interventions. The purpose of this paper is to explore the accessibility and prospective acceptability of providing telephone and videoconference-mediated psychological interventions in individuals with intellectual disabilities.

As part of a service evaluation, a mixed-methods questionnaire was developed and completed by clients who had been referred for psychological therapy at an adult intellectual disabilities’ community health service in the north of England. All clients were assessed using the Red/Amber/Green (RAG) system by a consultant clinical psychologist for risk and potential suitability for indirect service delivery given their ability and needs.

Overall, 22 clients were invited to take part, of which, only seven (32%) were accepting of telephone or videoconference-mediated psychological therapy. Most of the clients were unable to engage in video-conference therapy and therefore, only suitable for phone therapy. This paper presents the remaining findings and discusses the clinical implications and unique considerations for intellectual disability services drawing on the existing literature.

This is the first paper that the authors are aware of, examining videoconference-mediated psychological therapy in this population. It is hoped the data will be used to help inform practice or policy when using such therapeutic approaches in adults with an intellectual disability.

There has been little empirical investigation into the theoretical relationship between moral reasoning and offending in people with intellectual disabilities (ID). The purpose of this paper is to compare offending and non-offending ID groups on a new measure of social-moral awareness, and on theory of mind (ToM).

A between groups design was used. The scores of 21 male offenders and 21 male non-offenders, all with ID and matched for IQ, were compared on the Social-Moral Awareness Test (SMAT) and on two ToM tasks.

There was no significant difference in SMAT scores or on first- or second-order ToM tasks between offending and non-offending groups. Better ToM performance significantly predicted higher SMAT scores and non-offending groups. Better ToM performance significantly predicted higher SMAT scores.

Results were inconsistent with previous research. Further work is required to establish the validity and theoretical underpinnings of the SMAT. Development in the measurement of ToM for people with ID is also required.

This is the first use of the SMAT with a population of offenders who have ID. The findings suggest caution in its use in clinical settings.

Offenders who have intellectual disabilities like any one else may deny their offence. This paper reports a case study of a man who admitted his offence and them accepted probation with a condition of treatment. However, when he attended treatment he denied the offence. Thus do those providing treatment send them back into the criminal justice system or work with them try and help them accept what they have done and provide appropriate treatment to help them reduce future risk of offending.

In this case study the assimilation model was used to understand the process of change and monitor change through exploratory psychotherapy. The psychotherapeutic model was psychodymnamic.

The client demonstrated gains through the stages of the model toward acceptance of his problematic behaviour and continued to work on this through further psychotherapy.

The assimilation model offers a useful approach to monitor change in psychotherapy; but especially when the client does not accept the problem the rest of the world feels they have.

The randomised control trial is regarded as the gold standard among the methods used in treatment outcome studies, whatever the treatment. This method imposes the highest level of control over other factors that may influence outcome so that the true effects of the treatment can be tested. In this paper the key features of an RCT are examined, along with potential challenges that emerge when applied to evaluations of psychotherapeutic interventions with people who have learning disabilities.

Long‐term psychodynamic psychotherapy is a costly service to provide, but many clinicians believe it is of benefit for people who have learning disabilities and psychological problems. There is also now some evidence for its effectiveness. However, the views of recipients is unknown. In this study, recipients of more than two years of psychodynamic psychotherapy were interviewed about their experiences and views. Themes emerged about the referral process, the experience and the outcome. Areas of strength were identified, as well as areas for improvement. The findings concur with previous findings on group therapy and help inform current and future provision of long‐term psychodynamic psychotherapy.

After a varied and confused period from the days of Freud to the 1980s, psychotherapy for people with disabilities began to be recognised as having value. Several strands of development occurred at the same time and came together in the early 1980s. These strands will be discussed, the way they came together and what has happened since.

This paper reports a study of recidivism rates following psychodynamic psychotherapy amongst male offenders with intellectual disabilities. The recipients were 18 men who had been diverted to the clinical psychology service for adults with intellectual disabilities from the criminal justice system. Thirteen participated in treatment and five refused it during assessment. Participants were followed up for 4 years after treatment. Of the 13 who completed treatment two re‐offended. All five of the men who refused treatments re‐offended. In view of the preliminary nature of these findings they are discussed in relation to methodological issues and future research.