Family-Led Intervention in Improving Employment Outcomes for Persons With Intellectual Disabilities: CBT and MI: A Pilot Study

Abstract

This pilot randomized controlled trial examined whether a brief, family-led cognitive behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing intervention improved employment motivation among adults with intellectual disabilities. Intellectual disability is characterized by limitations in intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior, originating before age 18; it involves challenges in conceptual, social, and practical skills that affect everyday functioning. Fifty-two adults with moderate intellectual disability were randomly assigned to either an intervention ( n = 26) or a fact sheet control condition ( n = 26). Employment motivation was measured using the adapted Work Readiness Scale at pretest and posttest. An analysis of covariance compared posttest scores while controlling for baseline motivation. Results indicated a significant group effect on posttest motivation, F (1, 49) = 53.36, p < .001, with higher adjusted motivation scores for the intervention group. The intervention effect was large (partial η 2 = .52), and the model explained most of the variance in posttest scores (adjusted R 2 = .96). Participants in the intervention group scored an adjusted 3.48 points higher on posttest motivation than those in the control group (bootstrapped 95% CI [2.70, 4.28]). Overall, the intervention was associated with significantly greater motivation for employment.