The Subjective Well-being of people with a learning disability: What factors contribute?

Abstract

Abstract Research suggests a ‘tenuous link’ between objective life circumstances, and subjective appraisals of well-being and satisfaction (Cummins, 2005; Emerson & Hatton, 2008). There is currently a lack of research exploring the subjective well-being (SWB) of adults with an intellectual disability. The literature review presents a critical overview of the existing body of empirical research pertaining to the SWB of people with an intellectual disability. It concludes that, though the study of SWB is expanding, it is in the early stages of development and further replication of findings is required before conclusions can be drawn. In addition, considerable disparity was found in the definition and measurement of SWB, suggesting the concept would benefit from being operationalised and some consensus reached regarding its measurement. The research report documents an inclusive research project which brought together researchers with a variety of skills to qualitatively explore the views of 23 people with an intellectual disability who report high SWB. Participants described the importance of environmental factors such as relationships, choice and independence, and their interaction with personal characteristics such as contentment, acceptance and ‘looking on the bright side’. These results also suggest a third factor which operates between the individual and their environment to ‘enable or disable’ SWB. This factor comprised of staff, family and ‘boundaries’ including transport and finance. These findings have implications for those wishing to maximise the SWB of people with an intellectual disability including policy-makers, service-providers, clinicians, staff and family members.