Group interventions for anger in people with intellectual disabilities.
Group anger-management with staff support lowers aggression in adults with ID and the drop holds for a year.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Rose et al. (2000) ran a group anger-management class for adults with intellectual disability. The program blended Novaco’s cognitive-behavioral steps with Benson’s relaxation drills. Support staff joined the sessions so they could coach skills later.
The team met weekly for several months. They tracked aggression counts and mood scores before, after, and one year later.
What they found
Aggressive acts dropped after the group ended and stayed low for twelve months. Depression scores fell at first, but some crept back up later.
In plain words: the group cut anger outbursts and the gains stuck around.
How this fits with other research
Willner (2015) and Cudré-Mauroux (2010) both reviewed drug studies and found almost no proof that pills reduce aggression in this same population. Their message: meds rarely help, so try something else first. Rose et al. (2000) gives that “something else” — a behavioral group that actually worked.
Taylor (2002) reached the same conclusion in an earlier review. The paper flagged behavioral and CBT options as promising but said we need real-world tests. The 2000 study answers that call with a year of follow-up data.
Together these papers form a clear line: skip the antipsychotic shortcut and run skill-building groups instead.
Why it matters
If you serve adults with ID and aggression, you now have a ready-made protocol that lasts. Pair a weekly group with staff rehearsal and you can cut challenging behavior for months without adding meds. Start by teaching deep breathing, self-monitoring, and exit strategies; then loop in caregivers so practice continues on the job site or group home.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
This paper describes an evaluation of a group intervention for reducing inappropriately expressed anger (as aggression) in people with intellectual disabilities. Group intervention was compared to a treatment as usual group consisting of people referred to the group but who had to wait to participate. The intervention used was based on the work of Novaco (1976; 1978) and Benson (1994). However, further modifications to the group that emphasized the contextual perspective of anger, such as the participants being accompanied by a support worker and more collaborative recording procedures, were devised. A reduction in expressed anger and measured levels of depression occurred after group treatment. Reductions in expressed anger were maintained at 6 and 12 months follow up. However, scores on the depression scale tended to increase on follow up. While caution must be expressed when considering these results, this type of intervention shows promise for reducing inappropriately expressed anger in people with intellectual disabilities Suggestions are made for future research and clinical practice.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2000 · doi:10.1016/s0891-4222(00)00032-9