How do people with intellectual disabilities understand friendship? A systematic meta-synthesis

Abstract

Background: Previous systematic reviews of the relationships of people with intellectual disabilities have included consideration of intimate relationships. In this paper, we report a systematic review of papers describing friendship only. Method: A systematic qualitative meta-synthesis of the research exploring experiences of friendship as reported by people with intellectual disabilities. Results: Seven papers met the inclusion criteria for analysis. Three superordinate themes were identified. (1) Reciprocity, ‘Someone who helps me, and I help them’. (2) The building blocks of friendships, ‘I can tell her some secrets’. (3) Managing friendship difficulties, ‘In real life it's much harder’. Conclusion: People with intellectual disabilities value friendship and actively engage in reciprocal exchanges. We explore the strengths and limitations of current research, clinical implications, and directions for future research.