Project Team: Dr Emily Groves (University of South Wales), Dr Richard May, (University of South Wales), Rachel Rees (The Behaviour Clinic), Prof Jennifer Austin (University of South Wales)
This study was invited to published in a special issue of Psychology in the Schools that focused on single-subject research designs in school settings.
Project Staff: Prof Jennifer Austin (University of South Wales); Dr Adithyan Rajaram (University of Maryland Baltimore County), Dr Holly Gover (The Ivymount School), Dr Anthony Cammilleri (FTF Behavioral Consulting), Dr David Donelly (Webster University), Prof Gregory Hanley (Western New England University)
In this paper, we delineate some of the barriers to discussing and investigating trauma in applied behaviour analysis (ABA) and describe how the core commitments of trauma-informed care could be applied to behaviour analysis. We then provide some examples of how trauma-informed care might be incorporated into ABA practice.
Project staff: Professor Jennifer Austin, Dr Ioannis Angelakis, Dr Patricia Gooding, University of Manchester
We undertook the first systematic meta-analytic review examining the link between childhood maltreatment and suicide attempts in prisoners.
Given the high rates of prison suicide deaths and suicide attempts, our findings suggest an urgent need for targeted suicide prevention priorities for prisoners, with a particular focus on ameliorating the effects of childhood traumatic experiences on suicidal prisoners.
Project staff: Dr Emily Groves, Professor Jennifer Austin
The study investigated the effects of known and unknown criteria in a Welsh Year 4 (ages 8–9) classroom. Participants included three students who engaged in disruptive behaviour (target students) and three who typically did not (nontarget peers). Findings indicated that both known and unknown criterion games were effective at reducing target students’ disruptions to within the range of their nontarget peers, but neither game was more effective than the other. Teachers reported that they preferred playing the GBG with an unknown criterion; however, the students’ preferences were mixed.
Project teamL Gabrielle Hale, PhD student; Dr Deborah Lancastle; Dr Nicky Lewis; Dr Philip Tyson.
Hale, G. E., Colquhoun, L., Lancastle, D. Lewis, N., & Tyson, P.J. (2021). Review: Physical activity interventions for the mental health and well-being of adolescents – a systematic review. Child and Adolescent Mental Health Volume 26, No. 4, 2021, pp.357-368.
Hale, G., Colquhoun, L., Lancastle, D., Lewis, N., Tyson, P.J. (in press). Physical Activity Interventions for the Mental Health of Children: A Systematic Review. Child Care, Health & Development.
Project Team: Kerry-Ann Liles (KESS PhD Student), Emma Brute, Jayne Painter, Mary Clare O’Connell, Dr Sue Faulkner, Dr Philip Tyson
Project Staff: Nyree Dunn, KESS PhD student; Dr Gina Nolan, Dr Jane Davies, Professor Mark Williams
External Partner: Huntleigh Healthcare, UK
The aim of this project was to determine how effective home use of automated compression devices are at reducing limb volume, restoring skin biomechanics and improving quality of life.
In 2014 Professor Carolyn Wallace developed the concept of family resilience for public health nurses (health visitors) working in Wales and leads the FRAIT (Family Resilience Assessment Instrument and Tool) team at USW.
The FRAIT comprises of the FRAIT (Family Resilience Assessment Instrument) and the FRAT (Family Resilience Assessment Tool), both of which form an evidenced based assessment for health visitors in their daily practice.
Its purpose is to assist health visitors in decision making, care planning and planning for further interventions and resources. It is used by all health visitors in Wales to comply with the Welsh Government (2016) Healthy Child Wales Programme.
To deliver this programme of research Professor Wallace works with Professor David Pontin (USW), Michelle Thomas (USW), Georgina Jones (SBUHB), Jane O’Kane (CTMUHB) and Liz Wilson (HDUHB).
Dr Ioannis Angelakis; Professor Jennifer Austin; Dr Patricia Gooding (University of Manchester)
This study, published in Psychological Medicine, found that up to 68% of prisoners had previously experienced some form of childhood abuse or neglect, whereas 23% reported engaging in suicide attempts.
Our findings suggest that early screening for experiences of childhood maltreatment in prisons may assist towards the prevention of suicidal behaviours in this highly vulnerable group.
Project staff: Dr Deborah Lancastle; Eileen Munson; Professor Bev John; Dr Roiyah Saltus; Robin Andrews, KESS-funded PhD student
This work is an ongoing series of projects relating to women's reproductive health problems and the physical, psychological, and social consequences of these on women's wellbeing, work performance, and quality of life.
Dr Deborah Lancastle is working on a number of projects relating to women's reproductive health problems and the physical, psychological, and social consequences of these on women's wellbeing, work performance, and quality of life. A current project aims to establish the barriers to help-seeking for menstrual problems amongst Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic women.
Andrews, R., Hale, G., John, B., & Lancastle D. (2021). Symptom monitoring benefits menopausal health outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Global Women’s Health.
Boivin, J., & Lancastle, D. (2010). Medical waiting periods: Imminence, emotions and coping. Women’s Health, 6, 51-59
Brain, K.E., Lifford, K.J., Fraser, L., Rosenthal, A.N., Rogers, M.T., Lancastle, D., Phelps, C., Watson, E.K., Clements, A., Menon, U. (2012). Psychological outcomes of Familial Ovarian Screening: No evidence of long-term harm. Gynecologic Oncology. 127, 556-563.
Darwiche, J., Maillard, F., Germond, M., Favez, N., Lancastle, D., de Roten, P., Guex, P., and Despland, J-N. (2013). The transition of care from fertility specialists to obstetricians: Maternal adjustment and postpartum depressive symptoms. Future Medicine: Women’s Health, 9, 109-118.
Lancastle, D., & Boivin, J. (2005). Dispositional optimism, trait anxiety and coping: Unique or shared effects on biological response to fertility treatment? Health Psychology, 24, 171 -178.
Lancastle, D & Boivin, J. (2008). Feasibility, acceptability and benefits of a self-administered positive reappraisal coping intervention (PRCI) card for medical waiting periods.Human Reproduction, 23, 2299-2307.
Lancastle, D., Brain, K., & Phelps, C. (2011). Illness representations and distress in women undergoing screening for familial ovarian cancer.Psychology and Health, 26, 1659-1677.
Roderique-Davies, G., McKnight, C., John, B., Faulkner, S., & Lancastle, D. (2017). Models of health behaviour predict intention to use long-acting reversible contraception. Women’s Health Advance Online Publication.
Lancastle, D., Arriagada, P., & Skouby, S. (2016). Long term treatment of uterine fibroids with Ulipristal Acetate improves health-related quality of life: Findings from the PEARL-III (ext) randomised controlled trial. Poster presented at the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), Helsinki, July 2016
Lancastle, D., Hill, J., Faulkner, S., & Cousins, A. (in press). “The stress can be unbearable, but the good times are like finding gold”: A Phase 1 modelling survey to inform the development of a self-help positive reappraisal coping intervention (PRCI) for caregivers of those with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Submitted to PLOS ONE
Project staff: Gareth Parsons; Dr Juping Yu; Dr Deborah Lancastle; Dr Emma Tonkin
Project staff: Prof Carolyn Wallace, Dr Mark Davies, Megan Elliott, Lisa Griffiths, Prof Mark Llewellyn, Dr Nikki Lloyd Jones, Prof David Pontin, Dr Sion Tetlow, Dr Sarah Wallace
Project staff: Megan Elliott, Professor Steve Smith, Professor David Pontin, Professor Carolyn Wallace
Researchers at the Wales School for Social Prescribing Research undertook an international Group Concept Mapping study between June and September 2020 to develop the concept of social well-being. They found that the concept of social well-being is made up of six clusters; ‘everyday life, activities and pastimes’, ‘family and friends’, ‘connecting with others and supporting needs’, ‘community involvement’, ‘engaging with and reflecting on the wider world’ and ‘self-growth and security’.
For participants, the most important and accessible cluster was ‘self-growth and security’, whereas the most enjoyable cluster was ‘family and friends’. The impact of COVID-19 on access to family and friends was clear in the study. Interestingly, there were no differences in the way that people from different demographic groups rated the clusters, suggesting that the concept of social well-being is applicable to the general population. The researchers are now using these findings to develop the South Wales Social Well-being Scale (SWSWBS), which they anticipate can be used alongside tools to measure mental well-being, to provide an overall understanding of a person’s well-being.
The study report can be found here.
Project team: Sarah Way, Masters by Research; Dr Mark Davies; Prof Carolyn Wallace
External Partner: Re-Live
Project staff: Professor Carolyn Wallace, Megan Elliott
Even though social prescribing practice is widespread in Wales and across the United Kingdom, evaluations of social prescribing have been inconclusive and have been criticised for being methodologically flawed. Researchers have called for a coordinated approach to social prescribing evaluation to ensure that robust, systematic evaluations can be undertaken in a variety of different contexts.
ACCORD is a three-year study, which commenced in April 2020 and will have multiple outputs. The outputs from ACCORD can be found here.
Dr Juping Yu, Dr Sarah Wallace, Professor Joyce Kenkre
Commissioned by Aneurin Bevan UHB Newport West Neighbourhood Care Network
Dr Ioannis Angelakis (USW); Dr Patricia Gooding (University of Manchester)
No studies have examined the differences and similarities between individuals with and without experiences of childhood sexual and/or physical abuse in relation to anxiety and depression severity, perceived social support, and suicide experiences.
This study, which was based on 842 British participants, aimed to address these gaps.
These findings are important because they suggest that for the individuals with childhood trauma perceptions of being less supported by their significant others may lead to suicide acts. Furthermore, perceptions of being socially supported appeared to weaken the association between depression and suicide experiences equally in individuals with and without childhood trauma.
