Decisional support is important to people with intellectual disabilities. This review explores: i) how everyday decision-making is perceived and/or experienced by adults with intellectual disability, their care partners and direct care support workers (DCSWs); ii) techniques/ approaches used to support everyday decision-making; and iii) barriers/facilitators encountered. PRISMA systematic review methodology using PsycInfo, PubMED, Web of Science, CINAHL and Scopus. Eighty-one papers were included [qualitative ( n = 69), quantitative ( n = 7), mixed methods ( n = 5)] was used. Adults with intellectual disability reported wanting to makedecisions and needing support. Care partner support was affected by concerns about safety and decisional capacity. DCSWs reported difficulty balancing client decisions and care partner concerns when providing support. Supported Decision-Making (SDM) was identified as a key method of support. Barriers and facilitators were interconnected and impacted by stressors. This topic is under-researched and ill-defined. Supported decision-making is an increasingly popular approach whose application requires further exploration.

Background: COVID-19 restrictions in Ireland varied in levels of severity throughout 2020 and 2021. The aim of the present study was to explore the experiences of professional and family carers in supporting people with intellectual disabilities to make their own decisions during these restrictions. Methods: Participants recruited between July and December 2021 via social media, disability services, and academic experts completed a qualitative online survey. Results were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Data from 16 participants (eight professional carers, eight family carers) were included. Three main themes were identified: 1. centring the person, 2. adapting to COVID, and 3. restricted lives. Anxiety, confusion, and boredom among adults with intellectual disabilities during restrictions were reported by both professional and familial carers. Professional carers reported some positive outcomes, including greater chances for independence among service users and new activities becoming available via online resources. Family carers reported more negative outcomes, including isolation from disability services. Conclusions: People with intellectual disabilities had their choices markedly curtailed during the restrictions. Future studies should focus on improving the ability of services to reach users who may not have the ability to attend services in person.

Farming is a uniquely demanding occupation, with family and work often deeply intertwined. Whilst this integration is common amongst the agricultural sector in Ireland (99.7% farms classified as family), it can lead to a conflict of responsibilities, but this has not been examined to date. Therefore, this study aimed to examine work–family conflict (WFC) in farmers in Ireland, and if WFC differs based on socio-demographic factors, mental health, social support and farm-specific stressors. A cross-sectional study examined WFC in 446 farmers in Ireland. Depression, anxiety, stress, suicidality, general mental health, psychological flexibility, cognitive fusion, self-experience, perceived social support, farm stress and attachment were also measured. Participants reported moderately high levels of WFC (25.1 ± 7.2). Being younger, male, having children aged 5 years or less, higher reported working hours on the farm, higher farm-specific stressors, and lower psychological flexibility contributed to higher WFC. In addition, lower social support, mental health and psychological skills were significantly associated with higher WFC. Future research should consider the integrated nature of work and family in farm life and use a qualitative approach to further understand gendered experiences of WFC.

Background: This study aimed to determine what information is publicly available online for people with intellectual disabilities in Ireland and their professional and family carers regarding supported decision‐making and the recently commenced Assisted Decision‐Making (Capacity) Act. Methods: Potentially eligible online resources identified through a Google search and consultation with relevant experts were reviewed for eligibility using a two‐stage screening process. Resources selected for inclusion underwent data extraction and were assessed for quality and accessibility using a modified version of the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool. Findings: Of 101 resources identified, 13 were deemed eligible for inclusion. Resources were mostly targeted towards professional carers and rarely focused on the everyday decision‐making needs of people with intellectual disabilities. Evaluation of these resources demonstrated poor understandability and accessibility. Conclusions: The findings indicate a gap in the provision of practical information on supported decision‐making and the Assisted Decision‐Making (Capacity) Act to people with intellectual disabilities and their decision‐making supporters in Ireland, and highlight the need for the codesign of accessible resources to guide the implementation of supported decision‐making in more everyday contexts that are tailored to the needs and preferences of this cohort.

Supported decision-making is gaining momentum as an effective means of enhancing personal autonomy by empowering people to make decisions about their lives to the greatest extent possible. The aim of this research was to explore the perspectives of people with intellectual disabilities living in Ireland on supported decision-making, the recently commenced Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act, and what they value most during everyday decision-making. Two in-person focus groups were held with 12 participants (8 males, 4 females). Reflexive thematic analysis was employed to analyse the data. Two themes and five subthemes were identified: (1) preferences for decisional support (facilitating decisions, trust, respecting my voice) and (2) struggles in decision-making (barriers and inhibitors, worries about life skills). Participants valued decision-making supporters who listened to what they had to say and worked alongside them to help them achieve their goals, and preferred to receive emotional support from family members and instrumental support from professional carers. The findings provide important insights into the complex interpersonal dynamics underlying everyday decision-making for people with intellectual disabilities and their supporters, and could help to inform the development of training and resources to support them in this process.