Cognitive behaviour therapy for low self-esteem in a person with a learning disability: a case study

Low self-esteem is common in people with learning disabilities. There is limited research examining the effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) focused on low self-esteem within this client group. The purpose of this paper is to add to the limited evidence by describing the use of CBT focused on low self-esteem for a person with a learning disability in the context of emotion regulation difficulties.

An individual case study design was used, with repeated quantitative measures to monitor progress during weekly individual psychology sessions.

There was a reduction in the client’s feelings of anger and an increase in their self-esteem.

Further studies and follow-up would determine longevity of benefits. The inclusion of distress tolerance techniques may have impacted on the findings and limits the conclusions that can be drawn about the impact of CBT focused on low self-esteem.

This case study could make a small contribution to the evidence base for the effectiveness of CBT-based treatments for low self-esteem in people with learning disabilities, which is an under-researched area.