Anger-arousing situations and coping responses of aggressive adults with intellectual disability

A structured interview was conducted with 68 adults with intellectual disability who were referred to an outpatient mental health clinic due to aggression at work. Participants answered five open-ended questions in which they identified situations that made them angry at work and at home, what they did when they were angry at work and home, and what they did to feel calm and relaxed. Categories of responses are reported for men and women. At work, the most frequently reported anger-arousing situations involved co-worker conflict and aggression. At home, conflicts with siblings and peers were anger arousing. Interactions with parents and supervisors also aroused anger, but less frequently. Coping responses included aggression, being alone, talking to someone, and ignoring the provocation. Self-reports of anger-arousing situations and coping responses are useful in designing intervention programs to reduce aggressive behaviour and may suggest areas in which environmental changes would be beneficial.