Now showing 1 - 10 of 136
  • 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.
      614
  • Publication
    Thematic review of family therapy journals 2004
    (Wiley, 2005-11)
    In this paper the principal English-language family therapy journals published in 2004 are reviewed under these headings: evidence-based practice, common factors in effective therapy, innovations in family therapy, innovations in couples therapy, training, gender, diversity, international developments, terrorism, and historical transitions.
      553Scopus© Citations 3
  • Publication
    Thematic review of family therapy journals in 2013
    (Wiley, 2014-11)
    In this article the contents of the principal English-language family therapy journals and key family therapy articles published in other journals in 2013 are reviewed under these headings: models of family therapy, developments in family therapy practice, couple therapy, training, diversity, international developments, research and DSM-5.
      411Scopus© Citations 1
  • Publication
    Countertransference reactions to families where child abuse has occurred
    (Wiley-Blackwell, 1989)
    In this paper five countertransference reactions, which may be experienced by workers on child abuse management teams, are described. Karpman's Drama Triangle is used as a framework within which to define these reactions. The reactions are: (1) rescuing the child; (2) rescuing the parents; (3) rescuing the mother and child while persecuting the father, (4) rescuing the father; and (5) persecuting the family.
    Scopus© Citations 21  312
  • Publication
    Profiles of child sexual abuse cases in Ireland: an archival study
    Objective: This study aimed to profile subgroups of CSA cases referred for assessment at two national CSA assessment centers in Ireland. Method: Historical and clinical data for 150 CSA cases were drawn from records of two Dublin-based national specialist sexual abuse assessment and therapeutic centers. Three main comparisons were made involving: (1) 113 confirmed CSA cases and 37 unconfirmed CSA cases, (2) 55 confirmed CSA cases that displayed clinically significant behavior problems, and the 56 confirmed CSA cases without significant adjustment difficulties, and (3) 19 confirmed CSA cases in which violence was a central feature, and 79 confirmed cases in which violence was not a central feature. Results: There were three main findings. (1) More unconfirmed cases were male; had single or separated parents; and a father with a criminal history. As a group, the confirmed cases were largely youngsters who had been abused by male adults or adolescents outside their nuclear family and who subsequently were well supported by one or two parents. (2) Poorly adjusted CSA victims had a history of coercive violent abuse while better adjusted children were victims of nonviolent abuse. (3) Victims of violent CSA were more likely to have experienced penetrative abuse and to display more externalizing behavior problems. Conclusions: Confirmed and unconfirmed CSA cases, well and poorly adjusted CSA cases, and victims of violent and nonviolent CSA referred for assessment at two national CSA assessment centers in Ireland had distinctive clinical profiles.
    Scopus© Citations 3  994
  • Publication
    Contributions to the study of violence and trauma: Multisystemic therapy, exposure therapy, attachment styles and therapy process research
    (Sage, 2005-04)
    The prevention of future violence through engaging violent adolescents in multisystemic therapy and the treatment of trauma with exposure therapy are two of the most important scientific advances in the field of interpersonal violence in the past 20 years. A particularly significant methodological innovation is the development of reliable and valid measures of childhood and adult attachment because attachment deficits and their remediation are central to understanding and treating perpetrators of violence. In the coming decades, we need to refine existing treatment programs to make them effective for cases currently classified as treatment resistant. This will involve psychotherapy process research on the interaction between therapeutic mechanisms of change and unique personal vulnerabilities of treatment-resistant cases.
    Scopus© Citations 10  586
  • Publication
    Thurlow House Adolescent Assessment Programme
    A comprehensive community based assessment programme for multi-problem adolescents is described in this paper. The assessment programme is guided by a multidimensional understanding of adolescent difficulties and is staffed by a multidisciplinary team. The programme is jointly funded and staffed by the Health Authority and Social Services.
    Scopus© Citations 1  476
  • Publication
    Irish drug abusers I : Their social backgrounds.
    (Irish Medical Organization, 1980) ; ;
    That drug abuse in Ireland is a problem which demands our concern is highlighted by the reports of the Government Working Party (1971), the Churches Working Party (1972) and the Committee on Drug Education (1974). This paper is the first in a series of three which addresses itself to the problem. These three papers are based on a study of a cohort of Irish drug abusers. This, the first paper in the series, focuses on the social background of the subjects. The second paper will deal with their psychological characteristics. In the third paper a psycho-social typology of drug abusers will be presented.
      206
  • Publication
    Family–oriented treatment for people with alcohol problems in Ireland: a comparison of the effectiveness of residential and community–based programmes
    Using a naturalistic design involving consecutive referrals self-selected for family-oriented treatment, 42 participants from a residential programme and 25 participants from a community-based programme were assessed on a range of alcohol-use and psychosocial measures before treatment. A proportion of these cases were assessed after treatment and at 6 months follow-up. At six months follow-up 79% of both the residential and community groups were either abstinent or drinking moderately. However, more members of the residential group (75%) were abstinent at follow-up compared with the community group (36%). In contrast, more members of the community group were moderate drinkers (43%) at follow-up compared with the residential group (4%). At six months follow-up, compared with the community group, more members of the residential group showed a clinically significant reduction in recent negative consequences of drinking and psychological adjustment problems. Both groups made significant mean gains on indices of alcohol abuse and psychosocial adjustment but there were important intergroup differences. The residential group showed a greater mean reduction in recent negative consequences from drinking but the community group showed a greater mean reduction in the percentage of days heavy drinking.
    Scopus© Citations 8  653
  • Publication
    Differential outcomes to a pain management programme based on coping style
    The study objectives were to investigate whether a heterogeneous sample of Irish chronic pain patients could be classified into subgroups using the Multidimensional Pain Inventory to profile the subgroups’ experiences of pain and distress, and to compare their responses to a multidisciplinary pain management programme. Ninety chronic pain patients completed the Multidimensional Pain Inventory (MPI), the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) before and after a multidisciplinary pain management programme and at 6–23 months follow-up. Eighty-eight percent of patients were classified as Dysfunctional (DYS), Interpersonally Distressed (ID), or Adaptive Coper (AC) on the basis of their responses to the MPI. The proportions of patients classified into the three MPI groups were similar to those found in previous studies: 21% were AC, 20% were ID, and 47% were DYS. The three groups differed significantly in their levels of pre-treatment pain and distress. Compared with the AC group, the DYS group had greater pain and both the DYS and ID groups had greater distress. For measures of pain intensity and interference, from pre- to post-treatment, the DYS group improved significantly more than the AC group, but for pain intensity, the DYS group had relapsed at follow-up and the AC group’s interference scores had significantly improved. All patients who participated in the programme showed significant improvement in depression and the sense of control they had over their lives; this improvement was partially maintained at follow-up; and participants expressed a high level of satisfaction with all aspects of the programme. In conclusion, Irish chronic pain patients are not a homogeneous group and may be classified into subgroups based on psychological factors. Treatment response may be related to subgroup membership. Future research should evaluate whether tailoring treatments to patient characteristics will improve treatment outcome.
    Scopus© Citations 1  462