| The ongoing social movement toward deinstitutionalization has compelled administrators of care facilities and researchers to rethink program efficacy measures. Among the broader population, research has suggested a link between the cumulative effect of stressors and variability in subjective wellbeing, a link observed as allostasis and decreased satisfaction. Yet there remains a gap in the literature regarding the long-term factors that influence this disruption in persons diagnosed with intellectual disabilities. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to advance the treatment, care, and community reintroduction processes of these persons through improvements in quality of life. Guided by the frame of choice theory, applied within the context of positive psychology, and operationalized by Reiss motivators, 6 years of archival satisfaction data from institutions serving persons diagnosed with intellectual disabilities were analyzed to determine (a) the within-subjects relationship in subjective wellbeing via core affect and (b) the latent effects of significant stressing and mitigating events, controlling for individual and institutional operating parameters. Kendall's tau-b was utilized to detect longitudinal correlations between the factors of subjective quality of life, stress, and therapy. Findings from this research help clarify the role of adaptability in the long-term response to specific stressors including death of a caregiver, dislocation, and specific stress mitigators including psychotherapies and psychopharmacotherapy. These findings may enhance social change initiatives through improvements in program quality and effectiveness, which will be driven by better resource allocation. Program administrators gain significant benefit from this study by directing limited resources to maximize improvements in quality of life for their program participants. |
