L.J.M. Zijlmans

Training Emotional Intelligence Related to Treatment Skills of Staff Working with Clients with Intellectual Disabilities and Challenging Behaviour.

BACKGROUND Staff working with clients with intellectual disabilities (ID) who display challenging behaviour may contribute to the continuation of this behaviour, because it causes emotional reactions such as anxiety, anger and annoyance, which may prohibit adequate response behaviour. To enhance staff behaviour and treatment skills a training that aimed at improving emotional intelligence (EQ) was developed. AIM The goal of this study was to assess whether an EQ training in combination with a video-feedback training programme improves emotional intelligence of staff working with clients with ID and challenging behaviour. METHODS Participants were 60 staff members working with individuals with ID and challenging behaviour. Thirty-four staff members participated in a 4-month training programme and 26 constituted the control group. A pretest-posttest control group design was used. Effectiveness was assessed by using the Dutch version of the Bar-On EQ-i and the judgments of experts on emotional intelligence. RESULTS Emotional intelligence of the experimental group changed significantly more than that of the control group. Judgments of experts on emotional intelligence indicated that the change of emotional intelligence of the experimental group improved positively. CONCLUSIONS The positive effect of the training programme on emotional intelligence is consistent with previous research on emotional intelligence and suggests that emotional intelligence of staff working with clients with ID and challenging behaviour can be influenced by training.

The relationship among attributions, emotions, and interpersonal styles of staff working with clients with intellectual disabilities and challenging behavior

Several studies have tested Weiners model, which suggests a relationship among causal attributions regarding challenging behavior (CB), emotions, and helping behavior of staff. No studies have focused on interpersonal styles. The goals of this study were to investigate the influence of type of CB on attributions, emotions and interpersonal style of staff, the relationships among staff attributions, emotions, and interpersonal style, and the mediating function of emotions in the relation between attributions and interpersonal style. Participants were 99 staff members. CB aimed at the environment was related to higher levels of negative emotions, attributions and certain interpersonal styles such as controlling behavior. In addition, a relationship between emotions, attributions, and interpersonal style was found. However, there was no mediating function of emotions in the relationships between attributions and interpersonal style. Future research should take a more dynamic view of staff behavior and staff-client interaction into account.

The effectiveness of staff training focused on increasing emotional intelligence and improving interaction between support staff and clients.

BACKGROUND Recent research addressed the relationship between staff behaviour and challenging behaviour of individuals with an intellectual disability (ID). Consequently, research on interventions aimed at staff is warranted. The present study focused on the effectiveness of a staff training aimed at emotional intelligence and interactions between staff and clients. The effects of the training on emotional intelligence, coping style and emotions of support staff were investigated. METHOD Participants were 214 support staff working within residential settings for individuals with ID and challenging behaviour. The experimental group consisted of 76 staff members, 138 staff members participated in two different control groups. A pre-test, post-test, follow-up control group design was used. Effectiveness was assessed using questionnaires addressing emotional intelligence, coping and emotions. RESULTS Emotional intelligence of the experimental group changed significantly more than that of the two control groups. The experimental group showed an increase in task-oriented coping, whereas one control group did not. The results with regard to emotions were mixed. Follow-up data revealed that effects within the experimental group were still present four months after the training ended. CONCLUSIONS A staff training aimed at emotional intelligence and staff-client interactions is effective in improving emotional intelligence and coping styles of support staff. However, the need for more research aiming at the relationship between staff characteristics, organisational factors and their mediating role in the effectiveness of staff training is emphasised.

Emotional intelligence, emotions, and feelings of support staff working with clients with intellectual disabilities and challenging behavior: An exploratory study

Working with clients who show challenging behavior can be emotionally demanding and stressful for support staff, because this behavior may cause a range of negative emotional reactions and feelings. These reactions are of negative influence on staff wellbeing and behavior. Research has focused on negative emotions of staff. However, a distinction between emotions and feelings has never been made in the research field of intellectual disabilities. Negative emotions and feelings may be regulated by emotional intelligence, a psychological construct that takes into account personal style and individual differences. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between emotional intelligence on the one hand and emotions and feelings on the other. Participants were 207 support staff serving clients with moderate to borderline intellectual disabilities and challenging behavior. Emotional intelligence, emotions, and feelings were measured with questionnaires. The results show that emotional intelligence, emotions, and feelings are related. However, found relationships were weak. Most significant relations were found between feelings and stress management and adaptation elements of emotional intelligence. Because the explored variables can change over time they call for a longitudinal research approach.

Evaluating a staff training program on the interaction between staff and people with intellectual disability and challenging behaviour: An observational study

ABSTRACT Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a training program focusing on improvement of emotional intelligence (EI) and support staffs’ awareness of their behaviour towards people with an intellectual disability based on interactional patterns. The support provided regarding the needs for autonomy, relatedness, and competence was observed in line with self-determination theory (SDT). Method: A pre-test–post-test control group design (N = 29) was used, with 17 support staff participating in the experimental group. For both groups, video recordings of interactions between staff and clients were analysed with an SDT-observation system. Results: The results showed that a training program focusing on EI and interactional patterns positively affected the support provided by staff with regard to clients’ needs for autonomy, relatedness, and competence. Conclusions: As most EI studies focus on insights and understanding of oneself, this study is an important first step in focusing on staff behaviour during daily interactions.