From Hospital to Community: Perspectives on Forensic Pathways for Adults With Intellectual Disabilities.
- 1School of Nursing and Public Health, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK.
- 2Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust, Huddersfield, UK.
- 3Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, UK.
Abstract
Background
Adults with intellectual disabilities and forensic histories often experience prolonged hospital stays and delayed discharge, yet evidence on how forensic pathways support safe and timely transition to the community remains limited.Method
A qualitative, multi-perspective study was conducted within a large healthcare organisation in England. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were undertaken with service users (n = 11), family members/carers (n = 5), and multidisciplinary staff (n = 18), alongside two co-production workshops with 92 professionals. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.Results
Discharge was experienced as a cyclical and unstable process rather than a linear event. Three interrelated themes emerged: (1) establishing readiness and foundations for continuity, (2) maintaining coordination and coherence across the care trajectory, and (3) sustaining community living while preventing re-entry into institutional care.Conclusions
Supporting safe and sustainable discharge requires continuity-focused integrated pathways beginning at admission and extending beyond discharge to reduce repeated cycles of admission.
Related
- Healthcare workers and caregivers’ perspectives on access to cancer screening for people with intellectual disabilities as revealed by system dynamics and group model building
- Psychological therapy for children and young people with a diagnosis of autism or intellectual disabilities in mainstream child and adolescent mental health services: a cross-sectional survey of clinicians’ perspectives in England
- A Family-Inclusive, Visually Supported Sexual Abuse Prevention Intervention for Children with Moderate Intellectual Disabilities
- From exclusion to later life: residential care trajectories of ageing people with intellectual disabilities in Chile
- Art, normality and sensitivities: artistic workshops as spaces of expression for young people and adults with intellectual disabilities in Córdoba, Argentina
BibTeX
@article{hainesdelmont2026from,
title = {{From Hospital to Community: Perspectives on Forensic Pathways for Adults With Intellectual Disabilities.}},
author = {Alina Haines-Delmont and Kathryn Fradley and Faye McLoughlin and Sahrish Ali and Sana Raja and Michaela Thomson},
journal = {Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARID},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.1111/jar.70329},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42969165},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - From Hospital to Community: Perspectives on Forensic Pathways for Adults With Intellectual Disabilities.
AU - Alina Haines-Delmont
AU - Kathryn Fradley
AU - Faye McLoughlin
AU - Sahrish Ali
AU - Sana Raja
AU - Michaela Thomson
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/01
JO - Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARID
DO - 10.1111/jar.70329
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42969165
AB - Background Adults with intellectual disabilities and forensic histories often experience prolonged hospital stays and delayed discharge, yet evidence on how forensic pathways support safe and timely transition to the community remains limited.Method A qualitative, multi-perspective study was conducted within a large healthcare organisation in England. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were undertaken with service users (n = 11), family members/carers (n = 5), and multidisciplinary staff (n = 18), alongside two co-production workshops with 92 professionals. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.Results Discharge was experienced as a cyclical and unstable process rather than a linear event. Three interrelated themes emerged: (1) establishing readiness and foundations for continuity, (2) maintaining coordination and coherence across the care trajectory, and (3) sustaining community living while preventing re-entry into institutional care.Conclusions Supporting safe and sustainable discharge requires continuity-focused integrated pathways beginning at admission and extending beyond discharge to reduce repeated cycles of admission.
SN - 1360-2322
SN - 1468-3148
ER -