Now showing 1 - 10 of 24
  • Publication
    Alcohol and youth mental health- The evidence base
    The My World Survey- Second Level (MWS-SL) assessed alcohol-related behaviours in 6,085 adolescents. Findings demonstrated a significant shift in the frequency, binge drinking and volume of alcohol consumed across the school year. Alcohol use in the Senior Cycle was a particular concern, with 35% outside the low risk category for alcohol behaviour. The MWS-SL found a strong relationship between alcohol use and mental health distress. Risky alcohol behaviour was associated with family conflict and other negative behaviours
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      12989
  • Publication
    Development, implementation and evaluation of a multidisciplinary cancer rehabilitation programme : The CANSURVIVOR Project : meeting post-treatment cancer survivors’ needs
    (Health Services Executive, 2009) ; ;
    Cancer survivor numbers in Ireland are increasing due to the success of modern treatments. Although most survivors have a good quality of life not all survivors return to 'normal' after treatment. The HSE funded CANSURVIVOR research project has found that many survivors have difficulties and need help to recover and adjust after cancer treatment. Over a number of exploratory studies using interviews, focus groups and a survey of 262 breast, prostate, colorectal and lung cancer survivors, the researchers found that over 25% of survivors experienced significant difficulties with physical, emotional and social functioning, including symptoms such as insomnia and fatigue, while 33% experienced high levels of anxiety. Of particular concern were the findings that over 50% of survivors were overweight, 35% had reduced their physical activity levels and 13% continued to smoke after cancer, putting them at risk for further health problems. This evidence led to the development of an 8-week multi-disciplinary pilot rehabilitation programme. Significant quality of life improvements were achieved with increases in strength and fitness as well as a reduction in anxiety levels and dietary improvements. The researchers highlight the need for a structured, co-ordinated survivorship service, education of health professionals about survivorship and the provision of high quality information to survivors. This research was led by the School of Psychology at UCD in collaboration with the Physiotherapy and Nutrition departments of St. Vincent's hospital.
      1768
  • Publication
    Focusing on survivorship : improving our knowledge of life after cancer
    This article highlights the need to recognize that the post-treatment phase of the cancer journey requires attention and that there is a need to develop survivorship services. As a first step, cancer survivors need information so health providers need to improve their knowledge about life after cancer.
      240
  • Publication
    Factors related to well-being in Irish adolescents
    (Taylor & Francis (Routledge), 2005) ; ; ;
    294 Irish adolescents were profiled after being classified as having high, moderate or low subjective well - being on the basis of their scores on the Oxford Happiness Inventory, the Satisfaction With Life Scale and the General Hea lth Questionnaire – 12. Compared with the low well - being group, the high well - being group reported fewer family and personal stressful life events, more task - focused and less emotion - focused coping. They had greater personal strengths (adaptive problem - solv ing, self - esteem, and optimistic attributional style) and greater social resources (perceived social support and adaptive family functioning). The profile of the moderate well - being group fell between that of the high and low well - being groups. Gender di fferences favouring girls were found for optimism, perceived social support and family functioning. A structural equation model which explained the relationship among the variables in these profiles was developed in which increased personal strengths were associated with better subjective well - being and fewer stressful life events; and increased social resources were associated with better task - focused coping.
      510
  • Publication
    Reductions in Specific First Memories in Depression: Influences of Distraction, Referential Set and Cue Word Valence on First Memory Retrieval
    (Taylor & Francis (Routledge), 2005) ; ; ;
    This study examined the association between depression and autobiographical memory deficits. Sp e cifically, it evaluate d the impact of depression, complexity of a distraction task, self - or other - referential set and positive or negative cue - word valence on the retrieval of specific autobiographical memories . A sample of 24 depressed women and 24 matched controls completed the Autobiographical Memory T ask (AMT) before and after either a high - or low - complexity distraction task. Compared with the control group, the depressed group retrieved fewer specific first memories and had longer retrieval latencies for these. In the self - referential condition this pattern was more pronounced than in the other - referential condition. This suggests that depression is associated with a particular vulnerability in recalling specific self - referential memories. Distraction task complexity and cue - word valence did not affect AMT performance.
      281
  • Publication
    Profiles of resilient survivors of institutional abuse in Ireland
    In a group of 247 survivors of institutional abuse in Ireland, 45 cases (18%) did not meet the diagnostic criteria for common DSM IV axis I or II disorders. This resilient group was compared with a poorly adjusted group of 119 participants who met the criteria for 1-3 DSM IV axis I or II diagnoses, and a very poorly adjusted group of 83 participants who had 4 or more disorders. Compared with the very poorly adjusted group, the resilient group was older and of higher socio-economic status; had suffered less sexual and emotional institutional abuse; experienced less traumatization and re-enactment of institutional abuse; had fewer trauma symptoms and life problems; had a higher quality of life and global level of functioning; engaged in less avoidant coping; and more resilient survivors had a secure adult attachment style. The resilient group differed from the poorly adjusted group on a subset of these variables. The results of this study require replication in other contexts. Therapeutic interventions with survivors should focus on facilitating the use of non-avoidant coping strategies and the development of a secure adult attachment style.
      336
  • Publication
    Family and marital profiles of couples in which one partner has depression or anxiety
    Twenty-nine couples in which one partner was depressed, 21 couples in which one partner had an anxiety disorder, and 26 nondistressed control couples were compared on measures of (1) quality of life, stress, and social support; (2) family functioning; (3) marital functioning; and (4) relationship attributions. The depressed group had significant difficulties in all four domains. In contrast, the control group showed minimal difficulties. The profile of the anxious group occupied an intermediate position between those of the other two groups, with some difficulties in all four domains, although these were less severe and pervasive than those of the depressed group..
      498Scopus© Citations 17
  • Publication
    Profiles of Irish survivors of institutional abuse with different adult attachment styles
    Two hundred and forty seven survivors of institutional abuse in Ireland were classified with the Experiences in Close Relationships Inventory as having fearful (44%), preoccupied (13%), dismissive (27%) or secure (17%) adult attachment styles. The group with the secure adult attachment style had the most positive profile, while the most negative profile occurred for the fearful group in terms of DSM IV diagnoses and scores on the Trauma Symptom Inventory, the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale, the World Health Organization Quality of Life 100 scale, and the Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale. The profile of the preoccupied group was more similar to that of the fearful group. The profile of the dismissive group was more similar to that of the secure group
      567Scopus© Citations 10