Learning Disability, AdultGATher-LDNCT05761600
Learning Disability Group Art Therapy: Looking and Asking
An observational study of Learning Disability, Adult and Mental Health, run by Queen Mary University of London at 5 sites in United Kingdom.
Trial summary
A qualitative study of group art therapy in England for adults with a learning disability accessing community services. Different stakeholder views and experiences will be gathered using ethnographically-informed group observation, semi-structured individual interviews and a focus group. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Learning Disability, Adult, Mental Health
- What is being tested?
- Ethnographically-informed group observation, Semi-structured Interviews and Focus Group
- How many people
- 22 participants
- Where
- 5 sitesUnited Kingdom
- Study dates
- 14 Feb 2023to 25 Sep 2023
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Study population: There are three different participant groups in this study. They are: 1. Professionally qualified and HCPC registered Arts Therapists delivering group arts therapy in the community settings in the UK 2. Adults with a learning disability who are currently attending an arts therapy group 3. An identified support person who is well-known to the service user (e.g. NHS staff, paid support staff or family members who are carers) who provides practical and/or emotional support to the person with a learning disability attending the art therapy group
Who may be able to join
- Participants who are art therapists must:
- Be a HCPC registered arts therapist practicing in the UK
- Have experience of delivering group arts therapy in a community setting to this population
- Be able to give informed consent and communicate in English
- Participants who are adults with a learning disability must:
- Be 18 years old or over
Show all 20Show fewer
- Have a diagnosed learning disability or be accessing an NHS specialist learning disability service or using their personal budget to access a third sector art therapy group for this population
- Have experienced mental distress, have a diagnosed mental health condition or be accessing support for their mental health
- Be currently accessing group arts therapy
- Be able to give informed consent with adapted communication aids and approaches to meet their communication preferences
- Have a level of verbal ability to ensure they can communicate their views and meaningfully engage in the study
- Participants who are paid support staff or family carers must:
- Be 18 years old or over
- Be identified by the person with a learning disability as someone who knows them well and could represent the carer perspective in this study
- Be able to give informed consent
- Have adequate command of the English to be able to meaningfully engage in the study
- Participants will be excluded if they:
- Are unable to engage in the informed consent process; this is likely to exclude people who have a more severe form of learning disability
- Delivering the arts therapy group on an inpatient or acute ward
- Trainee arts therapists, or those who have yet to complete registration with the HCPC
Who cannot join
None listed.
Trial locations and contacts
5 sites in 1 country.
5 sites in 1 country
United Kingdom5 sites
Sirona Adult Learning Disability Health Service
Bristol, BS15 9TR
Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust
Coventry, CV6 7AT
Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust
London, Kent, DA2 7WG
East London NHS Foundation Trust
London, E1 8DE
Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust
Salford, Manchester, M6 8HD
About this study
Official title: Group Art Therapy Practice for People With a Learning Disability (GATher-LD): A Qualitative Study
A qualitative study of group art therapy in England for adults with a learning disability accessing community services. Different stakeholder views and experiences will be gathered using ethnographically-informed group observation, semi-structured individual interviews and a focus group. People with a learning disability will support the data analysis and dissemination of findings in accessible means.
- Conditions
- Learning Disability, Adult, Mental Health
- Being tested
- Ethnographically-informed group observation, Semi-structured Interviews, Focus Group
- Medical subject headings
- Learning Disabilities, Psychological Well-Being
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Ethnographically-informed group observationOther
The chief investigator will visit each art therapy group 3-6 times; there will be up to 5 groups recruited. They will record observational data and insights; making use of visual reflective journaling where appropriate. These will later be written up as full field notes.
Semi-structured InterviewsOther
Individual interviews will take place with all three key stakeholders in group art therapy at different stages of the study. Each interview will have a topic guide to structure the discussion and will combine arts-based methods with conversation to maximise accessibility. Interview location, timing and format (online or in-person) are flexible, and the chief investigator will adapt to the needs of the participants.
Focus GroupOther
After data collection and initial analysis (likely 3-5 months after final observation and/or interview) a focus group will be held with the art therapist participants. This session will use arts-based engagement to support member checking of the initial results and triangulation of the findings, which is likely to include potential active ingredients in group art therapy and principles of practice with this client group.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Art Therapist | Professionally qualified and HCPC registered Arts Therapists delivering group arts therapy in the community settings in the UK Receives: Other: Ethnographically-informed group observation; Other: Semi-structured Interviews; Other: Focus Group | |
| People with a Learning Disability | Adults (18 years+) currently attending an art therapy group who have a learning disability and can consent and communicate in a way that supports meaningful engagement in the study. Receives: Other: Ethnographically-informed group observation; Other: Semi-structured Interviews | |
| Identified Support Person | Person who is well-known to the person with a learning disability (e.g. NHS staff, paid support staff or family members who are carers) who provides practical and/or emotional support to the person with a learning disability attending the art therapy group Receives: Other: Semi-structured Interviews |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
To understand the features of current group art therapy practice for people with a learning disability
Through using ethnographically informed observation of art therapy groups, arts-based semi-structured interviews and focus group to gather key stakeholder perspectives from service users, carers, and art therapists
Measured: 12 months
Secondary outcomes (3)
Identify the potential active ingredients of art therapy with this client group through describing the procedures used by art therapists
Measured: 12 months
Understand how people with a learning disability experience art therapy to identify helpful therapist behaviours and highlight possible future domains of outcome measurement
Measured: 12 months
Identify the components of the intervention, which includes dynamic administration and how best to include the person's network
Measured: 12 months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted9 Mar 2023
- Study start14 Feb 2023
- Primary completion25 Sep 2023
- Study completion25 Sep 2023
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Learning Disability, AdultStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Other
- Time perspective
- Other
- Enrolment
- 22 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Queen Mary University of London
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Barts & The London NHS Trust, East London NHS Foundation Trust
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Nicki Power, Principal investigator, Queen Mary University of London
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05761600
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 147946
- Acronym
- GATher-LD
- Status last verified
- Mar 2025
- First submitted
- 27 Feb 2023
- Last updated
- 17 Mar 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 17 Mar 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Group Art Therapy Practice for People With a Learning Disability (GATher-LD): A Qualitative Study
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05761600
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- GATher-LD / 147946
- Conditions
- Learning Disability, Adult, Mental Health
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 22 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Queen Mary University of LondonUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Barts & The London NHS Trust, East London NHS Foundation Trust
- Study start
- 14 Feb 2023 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 25 Sep 2023 (actual)
- Study completion
- 25 Sep 2023 (actual)
- First posted
- 9 Mar 2023 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
A qualitative study of group art therapy in England for adults with a learning disability accessing community services. Different stakeholder views and experiences will be gathered using ethnographically-informed group observation, semi-structured individual interviews and a focus group. People with a learning disability will support the data analysis and dissemination of findings in accessible means.
Study design
- Observational model
- Other
- Time perspective
- Other
- Number of arms
- 3
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Art Therapist | – | Other: Ethnographically-informed group observation, Other: Semi-structured Interviews, Other: Focus GroupProfessionally qualified and HCPC registered Arts Therapists delivering group arts therapy in the community settings in the UK |
| People with a Learning Disability | – | Other: Ethnographically-informed group observation, Other: Semi-structured InterviewsAdults (18 years+) currently attending an art therapy group who have a learning disability and can consent and communicate in a way that supports meaningful engagement in the study. |
| Identified Support Person | – | Other: Semi-structured InterviewsPerson who is well-known to the person with a learning disability (e.g. NHS staff, paid support staff or family members who are carers) who provides practical and/or emotional support to the person with a learning disability attending the art therapy group |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- There are three different participant groups in this study. They are: 1. Professionally qualified and HCPC registered Arts Therapists delivering group arts therapy in the community settings in the UK 2. Adults with a learning disability who are currently attending an arts therapy group 3. An identified support person who is well-known to the service user (e.g. NHS staff, paid support staff or family members who are carers) who provides practical and/or emotional support to the person with a learning disability attending the art therapy group
Key inclusion criteria (20 listed)
- Be a HCPC registered arts therapist practicing in the UK
- Have experience of delivering group arts therapy in a community setting to this population
- Be able to give informed consent and communicate in English
- Be 18 years old or over
- Have a diagnosed learning disability or be accessing an NHS specialist learning disability service or using their personal budget to access a third sector art therapy group for this population
Key exclusion criteria (0 listed)
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Ethnographically-informed group observationThe chief investigator will visit each art therapy group 3-6 times; there will be up to 5 groups recruited. They will record observational data and insights; making use of visual reflective journaling where appropriate. These will later be written up as full field notes. | Other | Art Therapist, People with a Learning Disability |
| Semi-structured InterviewsIndividual interviews will take place with all three key stakeholders in group art therapy at different stages of the study. Each interview will have a topic guide to structure the discussion and will combine arts-based methods with conversation to maximise accessibility. Interview location, timing and format (online or in-person) are flexible, and the chief investigator will adapt to the needs of the participants. | Other | Art Therapist, Identified Support Person, People with a Learning Disability |
| Focus GroupAfter data collection and initial analysis (likely 3-5 months after final observation and/or interview) a focus group will be held with the art therapist participants. This session will use arts-based engagement to support member checking of the initial results and triangulation of the findings, which is likely to include potential active ingredients in group art therapy and principles of practice with this client group. | Other | Art Therapist |
Primary outcome
To understand the features of current group art therapy practice for people with a learning disability
Time frame: 12 months
Through using ethnographically informed observation of art therapy groups, arts-based semi-structured interviews and focus group to gather key stakeholder perspectives from service users, carers, and art therapists
3 secondary outcomes
Identify the potential active ingredients of art therapy with this client group through describing the procedures used by art therapists
Time frame: 12 months
Understand how people with a learning disability experience art therapy to identify helpful therapist behaviours and highlight possible future domains of outcome measurement
Time frame: 12 months
Identify the components of the intervention, which includes dynamic administration and how best to include the person's network
Time frame: 12 months
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 17 Mar 2025.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Nicki Power principal investigator
Queen Mary University of London
5 sites in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Learning Disability, Adult and Mental Health, run by Queen Mary University of London at 5 sites in United Kingdom.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 20 inclusion and 0 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 17 Mar 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 5 sites in United Kingdom. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
To understand the features of current group art therapy practice for people with a learning disability (time frame: 12 months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 17 Mar 2025.