Mark Gray explains how, by helping people with learning disabilities feel less lonely, support staff can reduce their and their families’ anxiety

This article describes the importance of reducing the loneliness experienced by people with learning disabilities who exhibit challenging behaviour. The author discusses a case study in which an approach developed by Pitonyak (2007) was adopted to show that care staff can decrease clients’ anxiety, and can improve communication between them and their families and carers, by reducing their sense of isolation and loneliness.