Experiences of service users with a mild intellectual disability or borderline intellectual functioning with Flexible Assertive Community Treatment: A qualitative study.

Fifteen participants from two teams gave a narrow view of FACT services for people with mild intellectual disability or borderline intellectual functioning. Both teams focused on people at high risk of offending behaviour, so results may not apply to all FACT services. Nine people declined, and most participants were under a judicial order, so experiences of less engaged or more compulsory cases may be missing. Four participants had their case manager present, which may have influenced answers, although the authors checked this. Some participants had limited communication skills or mental health problems, so the material may be less rich and self-report may be unreliable. The study reports experiences and ratings, not tested outcomes, and cannot show which part of FACT caused change. Participants had been in FACT for one to seven years, so newer service users may have different experiences.

Do not read the favourable ratings or reported improvements as proof that FACT causes better functioning. This is a qualitative interview study of 15 service users' experiences, and the authors say it was difficult to attribute improvements to FACT. FACT also combines many supports, so the contribution of any single component cannot be separated.