Eating together as a social network intervention for people with mild intellectual disabilities: a theory-based evaluation

ABSTRACT

Purpose: People with mild intellectual disabilities (MID) generally live independently among the wider community. This can result in social exclusion and feelings of loneliness. Therefore, social work organizations aim to socially include people with MID through organizing activities in neighbourhoods that should lead to enlarged networks and increased societal participation. The “Communal Table” is such a, group-orientated, intervention that organizes monthly dinners in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Because little is known about the effectiveness of interventions aiming to bring about social inclusion for people with MID we explored which types of participants were reached and whether and how the intervention brought about the intended outcomes.

Methods: We performed a theory-based evaluation, using participatory observations and qualitative interviews (n = 19). The Communal Table attracted a diverse and loyal group of participants.

Results: We distinguished four types of participants—lonely participants, activist participants, satisfied participants and calculating participants—whose pre-existing networks played a significant role in their individual needs for support and the outcomes of the intervention. Outcomes reported included experiences of conviviality and warmth, temporary relief of underlying problems and an overall positive opinion about the intervention, but network enlargement or increased societal participation were not reported.

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that social network interventions for people with MID should be tailored to participants’ pre-existing networks and related individual needs to be successful.

KEYWORDS:

• Mild intellectual disabilities
• theory-based evaluation
• participant observation
• social work
• social network intervention
• communal dining

Acknowledgments

We like to thank all professionals, volunteers and participants of the Communal Table for enabling us to do research in such a meaningful setting. We like to specifically thank Karen Soeterik, Peter Bakker and Monique Niezen for their help and support during the data collection phase of the research. Finally, we like to thank all respondents for taking the time for our research and sharing their personal stories with us.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

Our research project was funded by ZonMw (The Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development) located in the Hague (the Netherlands), under the programme of “Alles is Gezondheid” (Health is Everything, project number: 531005003).

Notes on contributors

Kasper Kruithof

Kasper Kruithof is conducting qualitative research on social work interventions that aim to enlarge networks and increase societal participation among vulnerable groups (with special attention for people with mild intellectual disabilities) and conducting qualitative research on the personal, organizational and scientific gains of patient- and citizen participation in the production of policy, care and science.

Jeanine Suurmond

Jeanine Suurmond is mostly involved in qualitative studies about cultural competences of care providers; studies about migrant patients’ perspectives in medical care; (evaluation) studies about diversity teaching in medical schools; studies about interventions aimed at social inclusion of vulnerable groups

Janneke Harting

Janneke Harting is involved in the research line Health Promotion for Disadvantaged Populations. Main topics are (1) qualitative and quantitative theory-driven program evaluation studies; (2) collaborative research designs; (3) the development, implementation and evaluation of cross-sectoral local health policies; (4) the implementation of evidence-based interventions and best practices in the fields of health promotion and clinical care.