Personalised treatment packages for adults with learning disabilities who display aggression in community settings (PETAL)

Although aggressive challenging behaviour is highly prevalent in adults with intellectual disability, there is not a consistent approach for its management.

Aggressive challenging behaviour leads to reduced quality of life, excessive use of restrictive practices and/or medication use, reduced physical safety leading to exclusion from social networks and significant economic costs.

We have developed a new intervention to address aggressive challenging behaviour, and will be testing its clinical and cost-effectiveness through a cluster randomised controlled trial.

The PETAL intervention has been co-produced with family carers, adults with intellectual disability, researchers, and clinicians. This theoretically informed intervention will add to evidence-based practice and will provide knowledge on how such interventions are delivered through NHS services.

If the intervention is effective, we will seek to make it available in the NHS through engagement with policymakers and the Department of Health and Social Care, inclusion in clinical guidelines, e.g. NICE.

Camden & Islington NHS Foundation Trust

University of Glasgow/NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

University of Central Lancashire

Challenging Behaviour Foundation

University of Warwick

University College London

PRIMENT Clinical Trials Unit

Ulster University

Queen Mary, University of London

Kings College London