A Randomized Controlled Trial on Clinical Efficacy of Massage Therapy in a Multisensory Environment for Residents with Severe and Profound Intellectual Disabilities

Abstract

Institutional care is the major service provision for persons with severe and profound intellectual disabilities because of their high dependence on daily living activities and physical illness. The daily schedule is usually non-stimulating and monotonous, which can be the contributing factors of their challenging behaviours. Recent literature has suggested that relaxation activities could reduce their challenging behaviours due to the counteractive effect of muscle relaxation on psychological distress. Despite having inconclusive evidence, multisensory environment and massage therapy have been increasingly used to manage challenging behaviours. Methods