Pain assessment in intellectually disabled people: non-verbal indicators

Area of Science:

• Nursing Research
• Pain Management
• Intellectual Disabilities Care

Background:

• Pain assessment in individuals with intellectual disabilities remains a significant challenge for healthcare professionals.
• Limited research exists on pain experiences and assessment in this population.
• Understanding pain indicators is crucial for effective nursing care and knowledge advancement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and evaluate the significance of non-verbal pain indicators used by nurses.
• To differentiate pain assessment strategies for individuals with severe versus profound intellectual disabilities.

Main Methods:

• A questionnaire survey was administered to 135 nurses across nine specialized institutions.
• Nurses rated 158 potential pain indicators on a scale of 1-10 for importance.
• Data were collected on nurses' perceptions of non-verbal pain expressions.

Main Results:

• 109 nurses responded, indicating all 158 indicators were relevant to pain assessment.
• Seven indicators, including moaning, crying, and painful facial expressions, were deemed 'very important' by over 50% of respondents.
• Pain assessment varied between severe and profound intellectual disabilities, with physiological indicators prioritized for profound and social-emotional for severe disabilities.

Conclusions:

• Nurses employ a broad spectrum of non-verbal indicators for pain assessment in people with intellectual disabilities.
• The selection of pain indicators is influenced by the individual's functional capacity and the severity of their intellectual disability.