Subjective quality of life of women with intellectual disabilities: the role of perceived control over their own life in self-determined behaviour.

BACKGROUND

Quality of life for people with intellectual disabilities has been reported in the research literature across differing demographics. There has been, however, little research that has examined in-depth the experiences of women with intellectual disabilities aged 40 years or older.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Fifty-five women from Sydney, Australia, and Prague, Czech Republic, were recruited to the study. Participants were recruited through agencies known to the researchers, ensuring ethical conduct of all procedures.

RESULTS

Each participant completed a semi-structured interview, and using a grounded theory approach, a series of themes were identified common across all women. The strongest theme identified throughout the interviews was the lack of control participants perceived they had over their lives.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study further the call for people with intellectual disabilities to be provided the opportunity to participate in decisions about their life choices.