Current Approved Projects

wdt_ID	wdt_created_by	wdt_created_at	wdt_last_edited_by	wdt_last_edited_at	Title of Research Study	Chief Investigator	Start Date	Brief lay description of the study.
1	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	Characterising, standardising and enhancing clinical pharmacy activities: a clinical audit and quality initiative	Dolores Keating	08/10/2025	Pharmacists are experts in advising on the best use of medicines in hospital settings. Pharmacists improve people’s experiencing of mental health care by helping select the most appropriate medicines, ensuring safe use of medicines, manage unwanted effects of medicines, reducing the use of unnecessary medicines and supporting people to access and use medicines to benefit their recovery. However, there can be variation in how different pharmacists deliver services and how they document their activities in medical notes. Comprehensive Medicines Management (CMM) is a framework that describes a list of essential activities that should be undertaken by a clinical pharmacy service. In this project we will use the CMM framework to understand the current clinical pharmacy service in comparison to the list of essential activities. The study will involve reviewing medical notes for a sample of 30 people admitted to the hospital.
2	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	Can Person Centred Planning be Improved in Its application in Adult Intellectual Disability Services	Teresa Mallon	06/09/2025	This Study aims to put a lens on Person Centred Planning (PCP) and seeks to understand its relationship in supporting improved practice and approaches at all levels of the organization for Individuals with an Intellectual Disability. This study will be achieved through a comprehensive literature review, and will utilize a qualitative methodology to seek at a service level the professional opinion of senior stakeholders on the effectiveness of this support. This research does not seek service user data or opinion, which is beyond the scope of this study, but is rather a first step towards a more rounded view of the subject. A dissertation will be written up in pursuit of a diploma in Health Care management.
3	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	What are the factors supporting positive relationships between couples where one partner has borderline personality disorder?	Edyta Serwatka	06/01/2025	In this research study, we want to understand what a romantic relationship is like when one partner has been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD). BPD is a mental health condition characterized by pervasive instability in moods, interpersonal relationships, self-image, and behavior. People with BPD often experience intense emotions, impulsive actions, and have difficulty maintaining stable relationships. Even though BPD can bring emotional and relationship challenges, some people with this diagnosis have successful long-term relationships. We want to learn about what helps these relationships work well and focus on their positive aspects. This has not been well studied in Ireland before. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to study couples allows us to deeply understand the lived experiences of both partners and how they make meaning together. We will invite 6-8 couples where one person has BPD and the couple has been together for at least one year. Couples will have two interviews with us over three months. We’ll talk with both partners together. This research is not therapy, but it gives couples a chance to share their story. The findings will be used in a Doctoral thesis at UCD. If accepted, this will be available to students, but no individual participants will be identified. We will also create a short, anonymous summary of what we learn.
4	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	The perspectives of addiction service users and staff on sleep and the relationships between sleep, emotions, and suicidal behaviour.	Aine French		Sleep disturbance is a common difficulty for individuals with a history of substance misuse with 36 to 91% reporting sleep difficulties. This lack of sufficient sleep is concerning as insufficient sleep is associated with a range of emotional regulation difficulties and mental health difficulties including depression, anxiety, and even suicidal behaviour. Suicidal behaviour is often an indicator of intense distress and can include thoughts of self-harm or suicide or any behaviours that an individual does on purpose to hurt themselves, (e.g., cutting or burning your skin) regardless of the reasons or intention, including past suicide attempts. The nature and interrelatedness of the relationship between sleep difficulties, emotions, and suicidal thoughts and behaviours has not yet been explored in individuals with substance misuse. However, it is important to clarify these factors in individuals with substance misuse as are at higher risk of experiencing sleep disturbance, emotional difficulties, and suicidal thoughts and behaviours than others. This research aims to explore the perceptions and views of service users and staff in an inpatient addiction service on sleep, how it might be related to suicidal behaviour, and how emotions may be relevant to this relationship. This will be explored through interviews with service users and staff in Saint John of God Hospital. This project is being undertaken in part fulfillment of an academic award of a PhD in Psychology. This project will expand our knowledge by clarifying the relationships between sleep, emotional regulation, and suicidal behaviour in individuals with substance misuse and will add valuable evidence to the limited international literature in the field. The findings of this study may be used to improve support available for future patients attending St John of God Hospital such as through the development of a psychoeducational programme.
5	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	Exploring the Effectiveness of a Health Promotion Program for Metabolic Syndrome in Adults on Antipsychotic Medication in an Irish Mental Health Service	Sharon Barnwell	04/07/2025	People who are living with mental illness have been shown to have a higher risk of unhealthy lifestyle choices and a 25 year shorter lifespan than the general population. This study seeks to Explore the Effectiveness of a Health Promotion Program for Adults who have been prescribed Antipsychotic Medication using a Quantitative analysis method. The research team are both Mental Health nurses. The participants are individuals attending a community mental health service. who have been referred to the Health Promotion programme. Referrals will be received for Health Promotion from the general adult mental health team in Cluain Mhuire Community Mental Health Services . On receipt of the referral, the CNS will arrange an appropriate time for an initial assessment, the gatekeeper will contact each individual by phone to confirm their initial assessment appointment. Participation in the study will be entirely voluntary and on an opt in basis only. Participants will also complete the SF -12 short survey to measure the impact of their health on their everyday life. The making every contact count client record will also be completed by the clinical nurse specialist with the participant. This documents chronic disease risk factors. Participant will then be offered 6 individual or group Health promotion sessions which will focus in on the 6 pillars of lifestyle medicine .
6	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	Experiences and perspectives of fathers who participated in a parent programme for children with ADHD	Stephanie Allen	04/01/2025	The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences and perspectives of fathers who participated in a parent programme for children with ADHD. Gaining knowledge about father’s experiences of participating in a parent programme has the potential to lead to enhanced parent programme delivery/ design and more father inclusive practice. Individuals are asked to take part in this study if they are a father who has participated in a recognized standardised/manualised parent training programme such as the Parents Plus Parenting Programme or the 1-2-3 Magic ParentTraining Programme for children with ADHD run by the Lucena Services, Saint John of God Community Health Lucena services. . Their experience means they may have important insights about how to improve parent programme delivery/ design potentially leading to more father inclusive practices. Participants will be asked to take part in an interview to discuss their experiences of this topic. This interview will be conducted by telephone, online via Microsoft teams or in person in a HSE premise local to the participants. An interview guide will be developed based on the research aims and with participants consent the interview will be audio recorded and transcribed into an interview transcript. No information which reveals participants identities will be disclosed.
7	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	Clinical characteristics of patients referred to a psychiatry of later life inpatient service; a 5 year retrospective observational study	Clodagh Cremen		This will be a retrospective chart review study. It will involve two members of the research team (chief investigator, co-investigator) looking back at MHIS health records in order to develop a better understanding of the patients who are referred to the psychiatry of later life service in St John of God Hospital pre, during and after the COVID 19 pandemic. In particular, we hope to establish 1. If the patient’s diagnosis on referral to the service changed over the course of their admission 2. If patients referred with certain symptoms were subsequently diagnosed with dementia To do this, we will need to review files available on the electronic health record system (MHIS) of patients who were admitted to the hospital from January 2019 – January 2024. We will examine specific characteristics of each presentation including age bracket, sex, presenting complaint on referral, discharge diagnosis and MRI brain result indicative of dementia (if any).
8	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	WIT-EMAP: Wearable Integrated Technology and Ecological Momentary Assessment in adults with Psychosis	Keith Gaynor	01/10/2025	Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is a measure of the variation in time between heartbeats, reflecting how balanced a person’s nervous system is, or how the body is handling stress. Research has shown that HRV is closely linked to our mental health. In recent years, researchers have started to use wearable sensor technology which measure aspects of our physical health such as heart rate and heart rate variability, to look at patterns in HRV among adults attending outpatient mental health services. Another technology that has been used in this area of research is called Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA). EMA involves asking participants to respond to a daily smartphone survey as a way of tracking their mood over time. We are conducting this study because we want to understand if it is helpful and practical for adults attending the DETECT service to track HRV using a wearable sensor in the form of a Whoop watch. We also want to see if there is any link between individuals’ self-reported mood and their HRV. The findings from this pilot study will help to decide whether a larger-scale study should be run, to further investigate the potential benefits and challenges of using HRV data from wearable sensor technology as a way of monitoring patients’ mood outside of clinic appointments. The wearable device will be associated with an admin account so that there is no personally identifiable participant data known by the wearable company. Participants will be asked to attend DETECT for two individual interviews – one before starting the study, and another after using the watch sensor for 4 weeks. During the interviews participants will be invited to share their views on wearable/remote monitoring technologies, as well as any concerns they may have about the study. To protect participants’ privacy, after the researchers listen back to the recording, all identifying information including names, places and medical information will be left out of the written transcript. After the transcript’s accuracy has been checked by the researchers, the audio recording will be destroyed. At the end of the study the recording device will be returned to the St John of God ICT department and wiped to ensure total erasure of all audio recordings. If they would like to review the written transcript of their interview, participants can email the research team at any stage.
9	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	A mixed methods study of a lifestyle medicine intervention – acceptability and effectiveness. ( qualitative & RCR)	Norella Broderick		This is a mixed methods study to look at the acceptability and outcomes of a lifestyle medicine intervention to manage metabolic syndrome in patients in a community mental health service It will occur in two phases: Phase 1 will involve assessment of an ongoing 6-session 1:1 Lifestyle Medicine intervention provided within the service. Assess effectiveness of the intervention: To be assessed by reviewing physiological parameters (e.g. blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugars) before and after intervention; patient food and exercise diaries to comment on adherence – by chart review. Assess acceptability of the intervention: This will be done by 1) interviewing patients 2) interviewing staff provider 3) retrospective chart review (feedback forms) We are not matching patient ‘effectiveness’ data with patient interviews to assess acceptability. We feel this would overcomplicate our study, and we would like to assess acceptability of the intervention to patients regardless of their physiological outcomes. Phase 2 Based on the outcomes of Phase 1, we aim to set up a Lifestyle Medicine group consultation intervention. We will assess the outcomes of this by 1) Patient feedback form 2) recording physical health parameters before and after group Lifestyle Medicine intervention 3) health questionnaires regarding diet and exercise before and after the group intervention. With phase 2, we are particularly interested in patients prescribed second generation antipsychotic medication, and want to do a subgroup analysis on this cohort, if sufficient numbers are recruited.
10	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	An exploration of the lived experience of midlife females who have a first episode psychosis (FEP) in the 35 – 55 years age bracket.	Judith Corrigan	10/09/2024	The study will involve of women who have had a first episode of psychosis during midlife (aged 35 – 55 years old). Those who have had this experience in the past 12 – 18 months are most likely to have valuable information to share in terms of how that experience affected them, how they experienced care, and, how it impacted their lives. The study will be carried out through the use of semi structured interviews. This means that the researcher will have a set of questions written up in advance that they will ask all of the participants. The idea being that each person has equal opportunity to recall their personal experiences in detail. The study will be carried out with females/women aged 35 – 55 years who experienced a psychotic episode for the first time during that time frame. The researcher will meet the participants in person for 1:1 interview/discussion, whichever option is easiest for them. It is anticipated that these meetings will last approximately 1 – 2 hours in duration. The discussion will cover topics related to the title, exploring what the participant’s, lived experience was. How the illness emerged, how participants accessed treatment, what their experience of treatment was, how they feel about the process now and how it impacted on the participants life. The hope is to get as much detailed information as possible so that a better understanding of what the experience is like for those who go through it can be developed. No individual participant will be identified in any reports.
11	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	Evaluating the Volunteer Impact in Saint John of God Dementia Care (St Joseph’s Shankill) (ENVISJ): what is the impact of a volunteer program on people with dementia, their informal caregivers, the volunteers, and the staff in a long-term dementia care facility in Ireland?	Nicola Yau		This Project Evaluating the Volunteer Impact in St Joseph’s (ENVISJ) aims to describe and explain the impact of the Volunteer Program in St Joseph’s Shankill. The Volunteer Program provides substantial additional hours to support the care needs of residents and service users in St Joseph’s and it has been anecdotally reported to provide significant benefit to all stakeholders. Project ENVISJ will capture evidence to explain the impact of the Volunteer Program, with the aim of providing timely evidence to decision makers when considering future adaptations to dementia care in Ireland. The St Joseph’s Volunteer Program impacts 5 groups: (i) Residents and Service Users; (ii) Volunteers; (iii) Caregivers of Residents and Service Users; (iv) Staff in St Josephs; and (v) St Joseph’s as an Organisation. Based on the UK Medical Research Council Framework for Evaluating Complex Interventions, a mixed-method approach will be used to measure and explain the impact of the Volunteer Program on quality of life and wellbeing in the context of St Joseph’s for Residents and Service Users, Caregivers, Volunteers, and Staff. Interviews with Residents and Staff, and focus groups with Caregivers and Volunteers will be conducted to explore the impact of the Volunteer Program from each group’s perspective. Psychometrically-valid measurements of quality of life, depression, neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia, caregiver burden, and staff job satisfaction will be completed by the relevant participants. The study will analyse the impact of volunteer contact time on Residents and Service Users, and Caregivers. From an organisational perspective, the return on volunteer investment will be calculated to assess the cost-effectiveness of the Volunteer Program.
12	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	Evaluation of the National Pilot Implementation of the Crisis Resolution Services Model of Care (HSE Mental Health)	Niamh Lennox-Chhugani		The Health Services Executive (HSE) National Mental Health has commissioned the International Foundation for Integrated Care (IFIC) to conduct an independent evaluation of the national pilot implementation of the Crisis Resolution Services (CRS) Model of Care across five learning sites in Ireland. The CRS model of care includes two key services, which are the Crisis Resolution teams and the Crisis Cafés branded nationally as Solace Cafe. This study will look at both these services.
13	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	National Pilot Implementation of CAMHS Hub Model of Care (Mental Health)	Fiona McNicholas (UCD)	07/02/2024	This study seeks to carry out a service evaluation of the implementation of the Model of Care for CAMHS Hubs in HSE Mental Health Services across five pilot learning sites. CAMHS Hubs have been designed to support children and young people experiencing acute mental health crisis through the development and delivery of multi-disciplinary CAMHS Hubs teams. A CAMHS Hub provides enhanced intensive brief mental health interventions to support CAMHS teams in delivering enhanced responses to children, young people and their families/carers, in times of acute mental health crisis, in the young person’s own environment/ community facility and with the active involvement of the young person and their family/carers/supporters and interagency liaison with local partners. Support from these hubs is time-limited, providing intensive intervention and support with sufficient flexibility to respond to different young people’s or parent/carer needs. This is a multi-site evaluation study. A submission has been made to HSE Ethics Committee for the four sites currently under HSE Mental Health Operations. The purpose of the proposed submission to SJOG Ethics Committee pertains to the CAMHS Hub Service based at Lucena, Rathgar implementing the service through agreement and funding by HSE Mental Health.
14	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	The benefits of group-based resistance training for adults with Down Syndrome; a pilot randomised control crossover trial.	Sharon Hardiman	07/01/2024	We are interested in researching the benefits of Resistance Training as a physical exercise intervention for adults with Down syndrome. Resistance Training (or RT for short) is a popular form of physical exercise, which focuses on improving muscle strength and endurance using weighted or resistance-based exercises. RT can involve ‘lifting weights’, doing resistance band movements or performing bodyweight exercises. Researchers in the Netherlands have recently developed a tailored programme of 7 RT exercises (called RESID), which is suitable and safe to implement among individuals with moderate intellectual disabilities. RT (such as the RESID programme developed by the researchers in the Netherlands) has been shown to help people improve their thinking skills and overall quality of life. RT may also reduce one’s future risk of dementia. We want to run the RESID exercise programme with adults with Down syndrome who do not have dementia. We are hoping this programme will support the healthy ageing of adults with Down syndrome. The adults who attend this programme will also continue to attend their usual weekly services. We want to see if we can run this programme successfully within a community-based service for people with intellectual disabilities. We want to see if adults with Down syndrome within this service enjoy this programme and engage well with it. We want to see if there are any barriers to these adults participating in this programme. We also want to see how much it will cost to run this programme again in the future. We also want to see if this programme helps these adults to feel better about themselves, to have better memory skills, and to have better day-to-day skills. We will measure these outcomes using a mixture of measures such as self-report scales, a memory assessment, and getting information from their caregivers. We will use the same measures with a similar group of adults who initially do not take part in this programme. They will be called our waiting list control (WLC) group. During the first group, these adults will attend their usual weekly services. However, they will be offered a place on a RT programme after the first experimental group have finished. We will decide the order of who takes part in which initial group (RT or WLC) by drawing names out of a hat so that it will be as fair as possible. However, all adults that take part in this study will eventually participate in the RT programme. We hope the results of this research study will tell us a lot about running a RT programme in a community-based service for people with intellectual disabilities. We hope the results of this research study will show that adults with Down syndrome enjoy and engage well with this programme and that this programme has benefits for adults with Down syndrome who do not have dementia. We hope to show that this programme will support the healthy ageing of adults with Down syndrome.
15	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	Reasons for Non Acceptance of Referrals in Lucena CAMHS over two time periods	Patricia Byrne		Mental health issues among children and teenagers are on the rise, making access to appropriate care more critical than ever. However, gaining access to specialized mental health services like Lucena Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) can be challenging. Due to limited resources, CAMHS cannot accept every referral, and understanding the reasons behind these non-acceptances is essential for improving the mental health support system. The aim of this study is to investigate why some referrals to Lucena CAMHS are not accepted. By examining the reasons behind these decisions, we can identify service gaps and help referrers, such as General Practitioners (GPs), make more appropriate referrals, ensuring that children and teenagers receive the help they need in a timely manner. The study focuses on two six-month periods: January to July 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic, and January to July 2024, after the pandemic. We will review the records of all referrals made to Lucena CAMHS during these times. By analyzing the reasons for referral provided by GPs and the reasons for non-acceptance given by CAMHS, we aim to identify patterns and common issues. We will also collect basic demographic information such as the age and gender of the young person, the source of the referral, and whether they are in care. Mental health services for young people are often overwhelmed. Community-based psychology services and the Children’s Disability Network Teams (CDNT) are similarly overburdened, making it difficult for children with milder mental health issues to get timely help. When these children are referred to CAMHS but not accepted, they might experience worsening conditions due to delays in receiving care. This study is important because it will provide valuable insights into the current challenges faced by CAMHS and the broader mental health support system for young people. By identifying why some referrals are not accepted, we can inform doctors and other referrers about the best ways to direct young people to appropriate services. This will help maximize the likelihood of these young people receiving the care they need without unnecessary delays. In conclusion, this study aims to shed light on the reasons behind the non-acceptance of referrals to Lucena CAMHS, which is crucial for improving the referral process and ensuring that young people receive timely and appropriate mental health care. By addressing these issues, we hope to enhance the overall effectiveness of mental health services for children and teenagers, providing them with the support they need to thrive.
16	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	Clinical trends in eating disorder patients admitted to a private inpatient hospital pre, during and post COVID 19	Sonita Sharma	05/05/2024	This will be a retrospective chart review. This means a designated person will look back at existing health records in order to learn more about a condition (Eating Disorders). In this case it will mean a selection of patient’s files admitted to St John of God Hospital Stillorgan during the period from February 2019 to April 2024 will be selected and the information that was gathered as part of their admission will be reviewed. We want to examine clinical trends in patients admitted to Hospital pre, during and post Covid 19. In order to do this we will examine specific characteristics of each presentation including – clinical characteristic (age/sex/type of eating disorder, co-morbid conditions, previous admissions) and anthropometric characteristics – premorbid BMI, BMI on admission, physical health status – bloods/ECG. ( please see attached proforma) All information collected will be pseudonymous after data collection and stored on a password protected excel file in a password protected computer in the hospital. Before any data will be shared or published the data will be grouped and we will ensure that no individual will be identifiable from the results.
17	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	Informing Quality Improvement: A gap analysis report on the understanding of the consent process in a social care setting	Lorraine Ballagh		The study seeks to understand the level of knowledge among staff with regards to the practical application of the consent process, in order to inform training needs in this area. This study is being conducted in pursuit of an award of Postgraduate Diploma in Healthcare Risk Management and Quality from University College Dublin.
18	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	GP Referrals to a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS): Pre, During, and Post the COVID-19 Pandemic	Fiona McNicholas		The COVID-19 pandemic, first diagnosed as arriving in Ireland in February 2020, has brought unprecedented pressure to healthcare systems resulting in precipitous changes in demand, burden and methods of service delivery. The impact on psycho-social functioning, both short and longer term is anticipated to be large. While the COVID-19 pandemic has ceased, its aftermath remains significant. Initial data collected from CAMHS Tallaght indicates a rise in anxiety, depression, and eating disorders among young individuals, coinciding with increased referrals to primary and specialized mental health services. It is not yet known if this is specific to one CAMHS and linked with geographical areas/GPs services or represents a more widespread impact post pandemic. The observed changes in GP referrals and clinical profile to CAMHS post-COVID carry significant clinical implications. The notable increase in referrals for anxiety, depression, SH and eating disorders underscores the profound impact of the pandemic on youth mental health. Additionally, the shift towards urgent cases requiring prioritization suggests a heightened severity in presenting symptoms. Understanding these shifts is crucial for CAMHS to adapt their resources and interventions effectively. Moreover, the decrease in referrals for conditions like ADHD, ASD whilst possibly linked to school closures also raise questions about potential underdiagnoses. Clinicians must remain vigilant in assessing and addressing the evolving mental health needs of young individuals in the post-COVID era, ensuring timely and appropriate interventions and resources to mitigate long-term consequences. It is not known if these earlier findings have persisted post pandemic. This study seeks to use a Retrospective Chart Review method to explore the important demographic and medical treatment information that has been collected already from the attendee’s to the Lucena Clinics in Tallaght and Dun Laoghaire in an anonymous way to distill the knowledge which is contained with in these medical records. No patient will be identified in any reports from this study, but the knowledge and learning garnered from this study will facilitate health care professionals in their delivery of more informed care to the young people attending CAMHS.
19	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	Referrals to a Specialist Adult ADHD Service: A Review of AMHS & CAMHS referrals and their Clinical Outcomes. A Retrospective Chart Review	Aiveen Kirley	04/01/2024	The study is a retrospective chart review. Retrospective means that the events to be measured will have already occurred by the time the study commences. Thus the data that is being collected is from past events. A retrospective chart review is a type of research design in which pre-recorded, patient centred data are used to answer a research question. Our research question relates to referrals from GPs and the Adult Mental Health Service to the ADHD service. We want to determine the clinical outcome of these referrals. We also want to know how many of these referrals are actually have a diagnosis of ADHD. All data will be irrevocably anonymised at point of entry into the study by the Chief Investigator Dr Kirley.
20	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	The experience of Health and Social Care professionals supporting adults with Intellectual Disabilities in implementing a person-centred planning (PCP) approach.	Amanda Mulroy		This research will examine the experiences of staff working within a community disability service in implementing a Person-Centred Planning approach (PCP). The NDA (2023) refers to PCP as “a way of discovering how a person wants to live their life and what is required to make that possible”. It hopes to ensure that each person is supported in making decisions based on how they may want to live their lives. This research will explore the experiences of staff working with this approach in one national disability organisation that supports people with disabilities. It will inspect this from a front-line staff and supervisory/management perspective. It is hoped that the experiences listed by staff will to shed light on the benefits and challenges of PCP. It further hopes to understand and acknowledge these staff experiences, assess the importance of the formation of a culture, which leads to understanding and awareness of what PCP entails. Furthermore, it aims to identify any challenges in implementing PCP and identify any supports that should work alongside PCP that would enable the process more effectively. As this research is focused on staff experiences, a quantitative approach will be adopted. It is anticipated this will enable a wide range of experiences and perspectives rather than a small representation which may be present through a qualitative approach. It will also enable a wide variety of responses between those working in front-line positions in day and residential settings and those managing these areas. This research will be conducted via a survey design through MS forms. All those invited to partake in the research study will be involved in implementing a PCP approach.
21	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	A mixed-methods study of sex disparities in how women experience care within an EIP programme and whether this influences outcomes.	Sean Naughton	03/01/2024	According to the literature and previous research on the topic, psychotic illness presents somewhat differently in women and men however, much of our understanding is based on research that been conducted for the most part on men . It is commonly believed that women suffering with psychotic symptomatology have better disease courses and overall outcomes than men however, this remains a understudied topic. First episode psychosis (FEP) studies have demonstrated that a substantial proportion of male patients have poor short-term outcomes, especially low functioning, unemployment, and substance abuse . On the other hand, females have certain advantages over men in that their illness typically starts at a later age, providing them with more time to establish relationships and role function, which in turn results in better outcomes over the first year of treatment. Early intervention in psychosis services (EIP), aim to detect and treat psychosis early on. These services usually focus on individuals aged 15-35, however many women experience psychosis later in life (e.g., perimenopause) and could miss out on gaining access to this type of care. It is widely recognised that prolonged duration of untreated psychosis predicts worse symptoms and poorer social functioning and quality of life. The current study is a 3 phase project which aims to explore differences between men and women who have attended an Irish EIP service both at presentation and follow up on a range of outcomes. Sex differences on several outcome measures (clinical, functional, physical health and treatment) will be examined. In Phase 1 electronic patient records of those who attended Dublin and East Early Care and Treatment (DETECT) center between 2005 and 2021 will be explored and assessed. In phase 2 Three retrospective time points (one-, three- and ten-year follow-up) will be examined to compare if the positive effects achieved through treatment differ between men and women, both in the short term and long term. Additionally, in Phase 3 interviews with key stakeholders (service users, service providers and family members) will be conducted to qualitatively explore their views on sex differences in care for FEP patients. The results of the study will help answer the question of whether we should provide a more personalised service based on sex that will help improve the lives of individuals who suffer with FEP. It will also add to a growing evidence base on women’s mental health.
22	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	20-Year Longitudinal, Sequential Follow-Up Study of Heterogeneity in Associations of Duration of Untreated Psychosis With Social and Occupational Functioning Following First-Episode Psychosis: A Secondary Data analysis of an anonymous dataset	Ciara Nealon	12/05/2023	Psychosis affects approximately 3% of the population and can often lead to long-lasting, disabling symptoms and reduced quality of life. Delays in treatment-seeking and treatment delivery have been found to lead to higher symptom rates and lower recovery rates. The importance of rapid treatment has guided services, who now aim to reduce the duration of untreated psychosis (DUP). Historically, symptom reduction was the primary goal of psychosis services. However, in recent decades the importance of meaningful quality of life as a treatment goal has been emphasised. Although DUP is strongly related to symptom reduction, less is known about whether DUP impacts a person’s social recovery, in particular the capacity to work and their relationships. This longitudinal research aims to explore whether these goals are impacted by DUP. Participants experiencing psychosis in a catchment area in Dublin were followed up over a 20-year period to see whether this DUP impacted their social relationships and their occupational recovery over their time.
23	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	Can effective supervision lead to greater motivation among staff who work in social care	Joanne O’Malley		This study will form the basis of a thesis in pursuance of a Level 9 MA in Social Care Management from the Technical University of the Shannon. Research into the area of supervision has shown that in general front line staff’s attitude has been positive towards the area of supervision however not all staff would agree with this statement. The aim and objective of this study is to explore the role of supervision and whether staff feel that the process itself has a positive or negative impact on their daily lives. The study aims to look at the attitudes that staff have formed towards supervision by reviewing the current practice and making recommendations for improvements in the future. The methodology applied will be a survey methodology. The Chief investigator has developed a survey based on the Supervisory Relationship Questionnaire (SRQ) (Palomo etal., 2010) the SRQ has not been widely used in supervision literature but the advantage of this is that the questionnaire has been specifically developed for use in the supervision domain and the questions were derived from earlier research into the supervisory relationship. The questions will be adapted to look at the attitudes that staff have formed towards supervision and to examine the role that Supervision can play in either a positive or negative light. The introduction will provide an outline of the study and present the overarching research question and the subsequent questions. The Literature Review will outline best practice for the delivery of effective supervision processes and highlight key themes in the literature. The study will present the data discovered and discuss how they can be built upon in the future in relation to the development of effective supervision processes. The conclusion will outline the key findings of the study and present future recommendations for improved effective supervision processes in the future
24	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	Improving Psychosocial Supports in EARLY PSYCHOSIS (PSYcHE)	Gary Donohoe	11/01/2023	This research program focuses on improving social and occupational function in early psychosis. These are ranked among the top five causes of years lived with disability in 18-35 year olds. Psychosocial function as used here is defined as (a) time spent engaged in social and occupational function and (b) assessment of social and occupational abilities based on task completion and clinical assessment. The overarching aim of this research program is to build capacity for evaluating and implementing psychological treatments for serious mental health disorders in early psychosis, which is directly related to one of 14 national strategic priorities in health (Healthy Ireland, p.46). Within this program of research the specific aims of the studies proposed are: (a) to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of novel interventions that are tailored to the needs of people with either lower or higher levels of function. (b) to collect data about predictors of psychosocial function in early psychosis. (c) use the new knowledge that results to support translation into clinical practice. The current application focuses on two main studies being carried out within the PSYCHE program. Study 1: A pilot randomised, controlled, single-blind trial to establish the feasibility of a combined Cognitive Remediation Therapy/Social Recovery intervention for individuals with continuing lower levels of function following EIP treatment: The ‘Crest-R’ study (Early intervention services). This study also seeks to determine the feasibility and acceptability of a recently developed intervention for improving psychosocial function in individuals attending the Early Intervention for Psychosis programs currently being trialled by the Health Service Executive (HSE). Specifically, this involves combining (a) Cognitive Remediation Training (CRT; a strategy, drill and practice training designed to improve cognitive function), and (b) a cognitive behavioural therapy focused on social engagement (i.e. social recovery orientated CBT as developed by Fowler et al, 2017). In addition to this quantitative study, a qualitative study of the acceptability of the CREST-R intervention for service users and staff will be carried out. Study 2: Predictors of social and occupational function (Early intervention Services and Galway Adult Services). This is a longitudinal observational study embedded within the Crest-R Study. It will measure demographic, clinical, cognitive variables and psychosocial function at four time points – pre-intervention, post-intervention, at 3 month, and 12 month follow-up. The first three assessments are part of Study 1. The 12 month follow-up assessment is the only additional testing for Study 2. The purpose of this study is to identify factors such as cognitive performance that predict disability. These studies are being carried out within the Galway adult mental health service and the Early Intervention for Psychosis (EIP) sites based in St John of God Community Services DETECT & in Sligo, Meath and Cork
25	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	Exploring Young Autistic People’s Understanding of and Influences on Gender Identity	Niamh Clarke	11/01/2023	Gender identity refers to one’s own personal sense of their gender. This can be the same as a person’s sex assigned at birth/biological sex or it can be different. More autistic people than non-autistic people experience distress because of a mismatch between their gender identity and sex assigned at birth/biological sex. Therefore, it is important to understand how autistic people feel about gender and how they make sense of their gender identity. Young adulthood is typically a period of identity exploration. This study will interview Autistic young people aged between 16-25 about their personal lived experiences of gender. This study will also ask participants about what kind of support they would like to receive from clinicians in relation to their gender. It is hoped that this will enable clinicians to provide better support to these young people. It is important to include Autistic people in research to make sure their voices are heard, improve understandings of issues directly impacting Autistic people and ultimately, improve the wellbeing of Autistic young people.
26	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	Clozapine Use and Outcomes in First Episode Psychosis	Fergus Murphy	08/02/2023	The primary purpose of this study is to evaluate clozapine prescribing patterns and outcomes among patients referred to DETECT from Cluain Mhuire Mental Health Services with a diagnosis of first-episode psychosis (FEP) between 1st January 2005 and 28th June 2023. Clozapine is used in treatment resistant psychosis and is the only medication approved for this condition. It is unclear how clozapine is being prescribed at present. The three areas we will examine are the use of clozapine, its psychiatric effects, and its medical (or physical health) effects. Our outcomes will include percentage of total cohort on clozapine, time to prescribing clozapine, number of antipsychotic medications prescribed before clozapine initiation, clozapine levels, use of augmentation strategies, reasons for delaying clozapine initiation, and reasons for stopping clozapine. We will also examine hospital days, admissions, the presence of metabolic syndrome, and mortality. We will evaluate the level of engagement with physical health programmes Choices For Health (C4H) and Health Trac among the study group and explore if there are associations with metabolic syndrome or mortality.
27	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	Psychosis Predictors in CAMHS Presentations: A Retrospective Analysis (of CAMHS Files following a First Episode Psychosis in the Early Intervention Service).RCR	Liliana Marques	08/01/2023	Psychosis is a condition of the mind that results in difficulties determining what is real and what is not real. Symptoms may include delusions and hallucinations, among other features. Additional symptoms are incoherent speech and behaviour that is inappropriate for a given situation. There may also be sleep problems, social withdrawal, lack of motivation, and difficulties carrying out daily activities. Psychosis can have serious adverse outcomes. The participants in this Retrospective Chart Review study are patients of a community Mental Health service who have been referred to the Dublin & East Treatment & Early Care Team, DETECT. This is a research study made up of three parts: Part 1: The researchers will examine medical records from a clinical service for psychosis. The researchers will look at the medical records as they want to find out people who had been diagnosed with psychosis and who also previously attended Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). Part 2: They will look at a list of things such as age, first early diagnosis, any co- conditions ( ADHD, mood disorder, etc) , who referred the person ( was the GP, or hospital, etc) and other relevant medical information, and record that information with a code (pseudonymously) to keep it private. Part 3: This group will be compared with a different group who did not develop psychosis. The primary goal of this study is to identify any noticeable differences between the cases and non-cases based on these factors. If successful, this research could lead to the early identification of specific risk factors of FEP population when attending CAMHS, and subsequently offer early intervention to reduce the prevalence of FEP.
28	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	admin_kieranp	02/09/2025 01:32 PM	Predicting who will respond to stimulant medication in ADHD: A precision medicine approach using neurally informed computational models	Jane McGrath	07/06/2023	Disorders of the brain and other parts of the central nervous system can be challenging to diagnose and track, meaning that patients often have to endure a delay before they receive the most suitable treatment. Children and adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are often treated by administering a stimulant medication – methylphenidate (MPH – Ritalin is a common brand). However, the response to this treatment is highly variable. Currently, there is no way to predict for whom this treatment will be effective. The industrial partner in this project, Cumulus Neuroscience Ltd (https://cumulusneuro.com), has developed a set of tools to monitor brain activity and cognitive performance thoroughly, using wearable and “gamification” technologies to make frequent sampling possible in home, office and other non-clinical environments. These tools work by safely and easily using electroencephalography (EEG) to measure the brain’s electrical activity without the need for a gel to conduct the signal. The EEG is recorded using sensors that rest against the scalp. A reliable signal can be obtained in minutes by an untrained person in the home. “Gamification” includes key aspects of the cognitive task that would be used in the laboratory, but adds gamelike features (points to score, graphics, levels, competition, etc.). Gamification increases objective measures of engagement, and it has been shown that this is specifically the case in ADHD. This is important because in many studies the reduction in the number of participants providing study data over time – attrition – reduces sample sizes, wastes participant effort, and biases results. Cumulus Neuroscience have developed a large suite of gamified tasks. Please see Figures 1 and 2 below for examples of the Cumulus Neuroscience mobile EEG headset and gamified tasks. The research question to be addressed in the proposed project is: can repeated EEG measures using mobile EEG be used to track and predict the response of young adolescents (10-18) with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder to methylphenidate? In the project, participants (young people aged between 10-18) will have a diagnosis of ADHD and will have recently been prescribed methylphenidate as part of their routine clinical treatment. Participants will ultimately take home a Cumulus Neuroscience portable dry “mobile EEG” headset, and they will remotely record their own brain activity while playing “gamified” cognitive tasks. During the study, participants will collect mobile EEG data at home during two time periods; 1. just before they start their treatment with methylphenidate and 2. approximately 4 weeks after they have started treatment with methylphenidate. We will integrate brain and behavioural data with the goal of identifying the variables that predict treatment responsiveness (in comparison to the gold-standard clinician judgement).