The Anger Management Project: A group intervention for anger in people with physical and multiple disabilities

Background This paper describes the evaluation of a group program designed specifically to meet the anger management needs of a group of individuals with various levels of intellectual disability and/or complex communication needs.Method Twenty‐nine individuals were randomly assigned to an intervention group or a waiting‐list comparison group. The intervention comprised a 12‐week anger management program, based on Novaco’s (Citation1975) cognitive‐behavioural conceptualisation of anger, which incorporates adapted content and pictographic materials developed for clients with a range of disabilities.Results On completion of the program, clients from the intervention group had made significant improvements in their self‐reported anger levels, compared with clients from the comparison group, and relative to their own pre‐intervention scores. Treatment effects were maintained at 4‐month follow‐up. In contrast, there was an absence of measured improvements in quality of life.Conclusions The results provide evidence for the program’s effectiveness as an intervention for anger problems for individuals with a range of disabilities.