Page 106 - Post-traumatic stress disorder in adults with mild intellectual disability: Screening, assessment, and brief intensive EMDR therapy

Chapter 5
because therapy is given by a team over a brief period, it may still be
possible to establish trust and agreement on goals and tasks (i.e., aspects
of therapeutic alliance) between client and team, if the team takes sufficient
time for this and adopts a supportive attitude (Schipper-Eindhoven et al.,
2024).
Current study
This study explored the experiences of adults with MID-BIF, PTSD, and
severe behavioural problems who participated in the study by Versluis et
al. (2025a), a brief Intensive EMDR therapy with rotating therapists. Three
participants were interviewed before and after the treatment to gain a
deeper understanding of their experiences. These perspectives were
further enriched and contextualised through interviews with professional
caregivers and therapists. Observations during the treatment process and
field notes were included to provide a more comprehensive view of the
therapeutic experience.
Methods
Study Design
This qualitative study employed an interpretative phenomenological
analysis (IPA) approach to explore the experiences of individuals with
MID-BIF, PTSD and severe behavioural problems who had participated in
a study on brief Intensive EMDR therapy with rotating therapists (Versluis
et al., 2025a). IPA focuses on understanding how individuals make sense
of their personal experiences within their specific context, offering insight
into the subjective narratives of participants through in-depth interviews
and detailed case-by-case analysis (Pietkiewicz & Smith, 2014; Smith &
Osborn, 2008). IPA is not about the generalisation of research findings but
focuses on the perceptions and understanding of a particular and often
homogeneous set of individuals. Although the number of participants varies
across the studies from single case studies to studies with more than 15
participants, Smith and Osborne (2008) state that a sample of three allows
for sufficient in-depth engagement with each individual case, but also allows
for a detailed examination of similarities and differences, convergence, and
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