'Standing up for Myself' (STORM): Development and qualitative evaluation of a psychosocial group intervention designed to increase the capacity of people with intellectual disabilities to manage and resist stigma.
Katrina Scior, Rebecca Cooper, Kristina Fenn and 9 others
PMID 35785506WHAT IT FOUND
People with intellectual disabilities described a five-session group intervention as helping them challenge stereotypes and stand up for themselves.
Participants reported increased confidence, stronger peer connections, and reduced self-blame. Facilitators and families observed these changes, though the study did not measure clinical outcomes.
Key findings
01Participants reported increased confidence in social situations, greater willingness to stand up for peers, and reduced self-blame for past bullying.
02Facilitators and significant others observed participants taking more active roles in advocacy, such as visiting schools to discuss bullying or displaying rights posters.
03The intervention was feasible to deliver to pre-existing groups, with high retention rates, though some participants found the video content distressing.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
This was an uncontrolled pilot study with no comparison group, so it is impossible to know if the reported changes were due to the intervention or other factors. The study relied entirely on subjective perceptions from interviews; no objective clinical outcomes or standardized measures of stigma resistance were collected. The interview sample (26 participants) may not represent the whole group, potentially skewing results toward those with more positive views. Some participants found the video content distressing, highlighting a need for careful emotional support during delivery.
Declared interests
The study was funded by the Baily Thomas Charitable Fund. The authors declared no other conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the positive participant reports as evidence that STORM effectively reduces stigma or improves mental health outcomes. This was an uncontrolled pilot using subjective interviews without a comparison group or standardized measures, so these findings only indicate feasibility and perceived benefit, not proven efficacy.