Life Story Narratives of Adults with Intellectual Disability and Mental Health Problems: Personal Identity, Quality of Life and Future Orientation

The narrative is a functional skill and a means for sharing stories which consist of a single event or events causally related to the individual’s past, present, and future. In this study we aimed to explore the narratives of a voiceless population in society and in research: adults with a dual diagnosis of intellectual disability (ID) and a mental health problem (MHP). Our operative goals were to explore the meaning of their lives as people with a dual diagnosis, their quality of life, and their aspirations for the future. The core questions of the study were: which type of disability is assimilated in their identity: ID, MHP, or both? What is their perception regarding their quality of life in the present and their horizon for the future? Our study was based on the three functions (the directive personal identity, a social function, and a directive/problem-solving function) of the Autobiographical Memory Model. We analyzed semi-structured interviews of twelve adults (aged 31-60) with mild-moderate ID and an MHP using mixed qualitative and quantitative methods. The findings yielded four themes: personal identity, directive problem-solving function, current quality of life, and future orientation. Wilcoxon analysis indicated that the MHP is more prominent in the participants’ personal identities. Thus, people with a dual diagnosis cannot bear the burden of two disabilities. The medical staff still exhibits a medical approach. Social theories such as the Multidimensional Insight Model, Stigma Theory, the Social Inclusion Model, and the Future Time Perspective Theory can serve as explanations.