Effect of stress-based interventions on the quality of life of people with an intellectual disability and their caregivers

Abstract

Purpose

People with intellectual disabilities often show challenging behaviour, which can manifest itself in self-harm or aggression towards others. Real-time monitoring of stress in clients with challenging behaviour can help caregivers to promptly deploy interventions to prevent escalations, ultimately to improve the quality of life of client and caregiver. This study aimed to assess the impact of real-time stress monitoring with HUME, and the subsequent interventions deployed by the care team, on stress levels and quality of life.

Materials and methods

Real-time stress monitoring was used in 41 clients with intellectual disabilities in a long-term care setting over a period of six months. Stress levels were determined at the start and during the deployment of the stress monitoring system. The quality of life of the client and caregiver was measured with the Outcome Rating Scale at the start and at three months of use.

Results

The results showed that the HUME-based interventions resulted in a stress reduction. The perceived quality of life was higher after three months for both the clients and caregivers. Furthermore, interventions to provide proximity were found to be most effective in reducing stress and increasing the client’s quality of life.

Conclusions

The study demonstrates that real-time stress monitoring with the HUME and the following interventions were effective. There was less stress in clients with an intellectual disability and an increase in the perceived quality of life. Future larger and randomized controlled studies are needed to confirm these findings.

IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION

• Assistive technology such as real-time stress monitoring enables caregivers to timely intervene and contributes to the reduction of challenging behaviour.

• Real-time stress monitoring contributes to the quality of life of clients and caregivers in healthcare.

• There is a reduction in the levels of stress of people with an intellectual disability by using stress-monitoring technology.

Keywords:

• Stress
• intellectual disability care
• wearables
• artificial intelligence
• challenging behaviour
• quality of life

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that supports the findings in this study are available upon request.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.

Notes on contributors

Sep Hesselmans

Sep Hesselmans is a data analyst with a Master’s degree in Neurosciences from Tilburg University and a Bachelors’ degree in Psychology from Maastricht University. He currently is a data analyst at the health-insurance company CZ in the Netherlands.

Franka J. M. Meiland

Franka J. M. Meiland is a senior researcher at the department Elderly Care Medicine on dementia at GERION, Amsterdam UMC. She holds a Master’s degree in Psychology from the University of Amsterdam and a Master’s degree in Health Sciences from Erasmus University Rotterdam – NIHES.

Esmee Adam

Esmee Adam is a researcher and PhD candidate at Leiden University Medical Center and holds a Master’s degree in Management, Policy Analysis and Entrepreneurship in Health and Life Sciences from Tilburg University.

Erwin van de Cruijs

Erwin van de Cruijs is account manager Care at Mentech and worked as a personal care giver in the long-term care for people with a severe intellectual disability. He obtained his social care education from ROC Nijmegen.

Arthur Vonk

Arthur Vonk is account manager Care at Mentech and worked as a personal care giver in the long-term care for people with a severe intellectual disability. He obtained his social care education from Utrecht University of Applied Sciences and Social Pedagogical Assistance, ROC Apeldoorn.

Fransje van Oost

Fransje van Oost is a senior researcher at Mentech and received her Master’s degree from Biomedical Sciences at Leiden University and her Master’s of Epidemiology degree from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

Dwayne Dillen

Dwayne Dillen is product owner at Mentech. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Biometry from the Zuyd University of Applied Science.

Stefan de Vries

Stefan de Vries is a PhD candidate at Amsterdam UMC Radiology and Nuclear Medicine. He holds a Master’s degree in Behavioural Data Science from the University of Amsterdam and a Bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Groningen.

Eric Riegen

Eric Riegen is commercial director at Mentech and holds a Bachelor’s degree from the Utrecht University of Applied Sciences and a Master’s Degree in Organizational Sciences from the University of Tilburg.

Reon Smits

Reon Smits is the CTO of Mentech and architect of HUME. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Fontys University of Applied Science and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from TIAS School for Business and Society.

Nanda de Knegt

Nanda de Knegt is a Neuropsychologist and Research Coordinator at the care institution Prinsenstichting and holds a Master of Science in clinical Neuropsychology from the VU Amsterdam.

Hanneke J. A. Smaling

Hanneke J.A. Smaling is a senior researcher at the Leiden University Medical Center and holds a Masters’s of science in Neuropsychology and Organizational Psychology from the VU Amsterdam and a PhD from the Universiteit Leiden.

Erwin R. Meinders

Erwin R. Meinders is the general director of Mentech and architect of HUME. He holds a Masters’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from University of Twente and a PhD in Thermal Physics from the Delft University of Technology.