Background: People with intellectual disabilities report similar everyday life stressors as the general population; however, they rate social stressors as having a significant negative impact on their wellbeing. This study investigated salient social stressors experienced by young people with intellectual disabilities.
Method: Data was collected from thirteen college students with intellectual disabilities during three focus groups and analysed using Thematic Analysis.
Results: Five themes were identified: understanding stress, pressure of increased responsibilities, stigma and exclusion, the company of others: fears and worries, support and resilience. The participants reflected on past and present sources of social stress and communicated their worries about social stress in the future.
Conclusion: This study highlights the impact of social stress for these young people. It also identifies their understanding and coping skills. Future research could trial adapted psychological therapies with this population to help them manage these social stressors
