Now showing 1 - 10 of 10
  • Publication
    Clinical psychologists' roles
    (Taylor & Francis, 1996) ;
    A survey of all clinical ps ychologists employed by eight health boards in the Republic of Ireland in 1994/1995 was conducted and the response rate was 54%. The views of the 67 respondents on their actual, desired and expected future work roles are described in this paper. There were clear differences between the actual roles of respondents and their desired roles. Respondents wanted more responsibilities in the areas of service planning and organisation; teaching and supervision; research and evaluation; and public relations. They wanted fewer face-to-face clinical responsibilities in the areas of child protection assessment and therapy; child psychiatric difficulties and child learning difficulties. They also wanted less routine administration.Differences between respondents’ actual roles and the roles they realistically expected they would be required to fulfil in the future were similar to those between their actual and desired role responsibilities with a few notable exceptions. They expected there would be little change in their responsibilities for child protection assessment and therapy, despite their desire to reduce their responsibilities in these areas. A content analysis of responses to openended questions underlined respondents’ view that the unique contribution of clinical psychology to the Health Boards may shift from the current emphasis on face-to-face clinical service delivery to the provision of a broader consultancy service in the future.
    Scopus© Citations 1  421
  • Publication
    Psychosocial profiles of Irish children with conduct disorders, mixed disorders of conduct and emotion and emotional disorders
    (Taylor & Francis, 1995) ;
    This paper reports on a retrospective archival study. Forty-one conduct disorder cases, 20 cases with mixed disorders of conduct and emotions and 23 emotional disorder cases were compared on demographic, behavioural and contextual variables. The pattern of treatment received by each group and their therapeutic outcomes were also compared. The three groups had similar demographic characteristics but distinctive psychosocial profiles. Conduct disordered cases showed a predominance of covert behaviour problems and came from anomalous family situations with inadequate parental control. They received family therapy and were more likely to drop out of treatment. Mixed disorder cases showed more behaviour problems overall and more overt behaviour problems. They came from families where there was inadequate parental control and anomalous family situations. They received more child focused individual therapy and parent focused therapy than other cases. Emotional disorder cases showed fewer behavioural problems overall and fewer overt behavioural problems in particular. These cases tended to be characterized by familial overinvolvement in the child’s problems. They received family therapy and child focused therapy and showed greater improvement than cases from the other diagnostic groups.
    Scopus© Citations 3  567
  • Publication
    History of family therapy in Ireland. 1. A bird's-eye view
    (Family Therapy Association of Ireland, 2013-01)
    This paper presents an overview of the history of family therapy in Ireland. Profiles of key figures in the development of family therapy in Ireland are contained in a companion paper. In Ireland family therapy is a small profession, with under 200 registered therapists. The Irish family therapy movement began in the mid-1970s. By 1980 the Family Therapy Network of Ireland in the Republic of Ireland and the Northern Ireland Branch of the UK Association Family therapy had been founded. At present there are three main family therapy training centres in Ireland: two in the south (the Mater Hospital, affiliated to University College Dublin and Clanwilliam Institute) and one in the north (at Queen’s University Belfast). These centres run professional family therapy training programmes accredited by national and European psychotherapy associations, with which family therapists register. Accredited professional family therapy programmes in Ireland are 4-year part-time courses culminating in masters level qualifications. A primary degree in medicine, nursing, psychology, social science or education is a prerequisite for entry. The curriculum includes academic tuition and research, clinical practice, and personal development. Family therapists in Ireland work in both private practice and the public health service. Most family therapists in the public sector are employed as social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists or nurses, and conduct family therapy as part of their broader professional roles. Couple therapy in Ireland is provided by family therapists, and also by voluntary couple counsellors based in networks of local centres, some of which were established by religiously affiliated organizations, without a formal connection to national family therapy associations. The three major future challenges for Irish family therapy are creating a research infrastructure, developing a career structure in the public health service, and introducing statutory registration.
      1273
  • Publication
    History of family therapy in Ireland. 2. Profiles of key figures
    (Family Therapy Association of Ireland, 2014-06)
    This paper presents profiles of individuals who have contributed to the development of family therapy in Ireland. An overview of the history of family therapy in Ireland is given in a companion paper. This paper profiles five of the founders of family therapy in the Republic of Ireland (Nollaig Byrne, Imelda McCarthy, Phil Kearney, Ed McHale and Jim Sheehan); two founders of family therapy in Northern Ireland ( Isobel Reilly, Artie O’Neill , and Arlene Healey) and others who have made distinctive contributions to the Irish family therapy movement (Barbara Kohnstamm, Jo Kennedy, Bernadette O’Sullivan and myself).
      769
  • Publication
    Family therapy and clinical psychology
    (Wiley, 1995-11)
    The results of a survey of 111 clinical psychologists in the Republic of Ireland along with some comparable data from US and UK surveys were used to address a series of questions about the link between family therapy and clinical psychology. Family therapy was not a clearly identifiable sub-specialty within clinical psychology in Ireland. Family therapy theoretical models were used by more than a quarter of the Irish sample to conceptualize their work but by less than a tenth of US and UK respondents. In all three countries about a tenth of treatment time was devoted to the practice of family therapy. In Ireland, the use of family systems models, family assessment interviews and family therapy was more common within the child and family specialty than within the mental handicap or adult mental health clinical psychology specialties. The experience of live supervision and participation in family or couples therapy were important formative factors in the development of some clinical psychologists. Further training in systemic consultation, particularly in situations where an abuse of power has occurred, was identified in the survey as a priority area for continuing professional development. The evolving relationship between family therapy and clinical psychology is discussed in the light of these findings.
      374
  • Publication
    Comorbidity and COVID-19: Investigating the Relationship between Medical and Psychological Well-being
    Objective: The unprecedented occurrence of a global pandemic is accompanied by both physical and psychological burdens that may impair quality of life. Research relating to COVID-19 aims to determine the effects of the pandemic on vulnerable populations who are at high risk of developing negative health or psychosocial outcomes. Having an ongoing medical condition during a pandemic may lead to greater psychological distress. Increased psychological distress may be due to preventative public health measures (e.g. lockdown), having an ongoing medical condition, or a combination of these factors. Methods: This study analyses data from an online cross-sectional national survey of adults in Ireland and investigates the relationship between comorbidity and psychological distress. Those with a medical condition (n=128) were compared to a control group without a medical condition (n=128) and matched according to age, gender, annual income, education, and work status during COVID-19. Participants and data were obtained during the first public lockdown in Ireland (27.03.2020–08.06.2020). Results: Individuals with existing medical conditions reported significantly higher levels of anxiety (p<.01) and felt less gratitude (p≤.001). Exploratory analysis indicates that anxiety levels were significantly associated with illness perceptions specific to COVID-19. Post-hoc analysis reveal no significant difference between the number of comorbidities and condition type (e.g. respiratory disorders). Conclusion: This research supports individualised supports for people with ongoing medical conditions through the COVID-19 pandemic, and has implications for the consideration of follow-up care specifically for mental health. Findings may also inform future public health policies and post-vaccine support strategies for vulnerable populations.
      127Scopus© Citations 4
  • Publication
    Epidemiology of psychological disorders in Irish children
    (Taylor & Francis, 1993)
    Three major epidemiological studies of psychological disorders in Irish children were reviewed. These are the first systematic investigations to be conducted in Ireland and all have been completed within the last 5 years. The studies were conducted in Dublin (N = 2029), Clare (N = 1361) and Cork (N = 733). In all three studies children were screened with the Rutter Teacher Questionnaire. The prevalence rates of children with deviant scores were 17%, 11% and 15% for Dublin, Clare and Cork respectively. Externalizing behavioural problems were three times more prevalent than internalizing problems in Dublin and Clare. Data for Cork, on this variable, were unavailable. In all three studies the prevalence of disorders was higher in boys, but this pattern was particularly marked in Dublin where 21 % of boys had disorders compared to 12% of girls. In Dublin and Clare, but not in Cork, lower intelligence and reading attainment difficulties were associated with the presence of a psychological disorder. In Dublin (the only area for which data on family circumstances were available) family adversity was associated with psychological disorder. In Dublin and Cork, screening by questionnaire was followed-up with an intensive interview study of cases and controls. Estimated prevalence rates of psychological disorder based on interview data were 16% for Dublin and 10% for Cork.
    Scopus© Citations 10  429