Page 107 - Post-traumatic stress disorder in adults with mild intellectual disability: Screening, assessment, and brief intensive EMDR therapy

Experiences with intensive EMDR and rotating therapists
divergence, offering a nuanced understanding of how individuals make
sense of their lived experiences. In line with the idiographic nature of IPA,
thematic saturation was not pursued (Hale et al., 2007; van Manen et al.,
2016). Instead, we aimed for interpretive depth within individual cases,
using multiple data sources per participant.
Participants and setting
This study expands on the work of Versluis et al. (2025a), who examined
the efficacy of Intensive EMDR therapy with a team of rotating therapists
with individuals with MID-BIF, PTSD, and severe behavioural problems. To
recruit participants for the current study, the first three individuals who had
been included in the original study by Versluis et al. (2025a) were invited.
However, as one of them declined to participate, the fourth included
participant was invited and agreed to take part in this study. This resulted
in a final sample size of three, as originally intended. All the participants
received an information letter and provided written informed consent for
participation. The study protocol was approved by the Medical Research
Ethics Committee of the East Netherlands (reference number: 2020-6967-
NL75909.091.20). Participation in this study was voluntary. The three
participants were all men, aged between 20 and 30 years. Two of them
were classified with BIF and one with MID. All participants met the DSM-
5-TR diagnostic criteria for PTSD and had severe behavioural problems
(classified as Care Intensity Level [in Dutch: Zorg Zwaarte Pakket; ZZP] 7),
which represents eligibility for the highest level of care intensity according
to the Dutch healthcare authority, indicating the need for intensive support
due to severe behavioural problems as described in their client files).
All participants lived in supported housing on a care park in the Netherlands
(‘s Heeren Loo). The house accommodated six to eight other adults with MID
or BIF. Each participant had their own bedroom with an ensuite bathroom
and toilet and received 24-hour care from professional caregivers. One
participant worked four days a week, with professional caregivers providing
supervision and support. Another participant was fulfilling a community
service sentence (as mandated by the court because of an offence he had
committed) before starting the therapy. Despite various attempts to find
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