How do Australian mental health services use easy read to make information accessible for people with intellectual disability?
Bronwyn Newman, Karen R Fisher, Julian Trollor
PMID 37688365WHAT IT FOUND
Staff in four Australian mental health or disability services often did not offer easy read to people with intellectual disability, but users said simple text and pictures helped shared understanding.
It worked best when staff knew the person, had time, and involved families.
Key findings
01Most mainstream mental health staff did not use easy read or other accessible information and did not consistently offer people with intellectual disability opportunities to interact with mental health information.
02Participants who used easy read said it helped understanding, but most people used it with support rather than independently.
03Four elements were identified as facilitating access to information: availability, equipping staff, inclusivity and respectful relationships.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
Easy read was rarely used in the participating mental health settings, so the study describes a context where the resource was often absent rather than routine use. No suitable people with intellectual disability from the participating services were available within the research timeframe, so the views of current service users were limited. Participants were recruited from four agencies in a geographic region, and the sample included staff, service users, carers and supporters, so the findings may not represent all mental health services or all people with intellectual disability. People experiencing significant mental distress or psychosis were excluded, so the study says little about information access for people in acute crisis. The study reports experiences and perceptions, not measured outcomes, so it cannot show that easy read improves understanding, engagement or mental health care.
Declared interests
The study was funded by a National Health and Medical Research Council Australia Partnerships for Better Health grant, APP1056128. The funding and conflicts of interest section names this funder.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that easy read improves mental health information access or outcomes. Most mainstream staff did not use it, availability was inconsistent, and participants said it needed relationships, staff support and time; its availability alone did not guarantee access.