This section is dedication to research in which we are involved or support. Thank you for participating.
Research Open
17/09/2024
TOPIC: An investigation into the brain processes of decision-making in ADHD
WHAT IS THIS RESEARCH ABOUT?
This research will use novel behavioural assessments to better understand the brain processes that surround impaired decision-making in Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
ADHD Ireland | 16th of September 2024
Research Closed
17/09/2024
“Nothing about us without us”
ADHD Ireland | 17th of September 2024
18th of September 2024
TOPIC: HSE Clinical Programme for children and adolescents with ADHD in Ireland
I am a Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist and I have been asked to write a HSE Clinical Programme for children and adolescents with ADHD in Ireland.
I would like to hear directly from parents about how they believe services for ADHD should be developed further. I plan to run a focus group online where I will meet approximately 8 parents or guardians of a young person or young adult with ADHD. It is intended that there will be 1 initial focus group meeting.
We expect that there may be more applications than places so participants will be selected to allow representation from different age groups and different geographical areas, with random selection where necessary. Please, forgive us if you aren’t contacted it means we have selected the participants, thank you for understanding.
Aisling Mulligan
If you wish to be considered for the support group, please fill out the form HERE
RESEARCH CLOSED
15/07/2024
PRISM-ADHD: Using Brainwaves to Improve Young People’s Lives
Topic: Research to improve our understanding of ADHD treatment with stimulant medication
The PRISM-ADHD research team would like to invite you to take part in our exciting research project where we use video games (like the one pictured below) and a remote EEG (brain recording device) to get a better understanding of how young people’s brains work when they have ADHD and how this might change with medication. We hope that the findings of this research will help clinicians and parents in the future during the medication decision process.
If you would like to have a look at the exciting new equipment we use for this project you can click the link HERE
Who can be Involved?
For this study we are looking for young people :
● Aged between 10 and 17 years (up to 18th birthday!)
● Recently diagnosed with ADHD
● About to start on methylphenidate medication (not yet on any ADHD medication but due to start)
What you would need to do:
● You and your child would
○ Meet the research team in your home or in Trinity College Dublin and learn how to play the games and use the equipment. This would take approximately 2 hours.
○ Keep a headset that will record your child’s brain activity and a tablet with the games on it.
● At home, your child would play the games and record brain activity 4 times over 2 weeks (15-20 minutes each time) before starting medication.
● One month after starting medication, your child would play the games and record brain activity 4 times over 2 weeks again.
More information
For more information for Parents/Guardians please click HERE
For More information for Young People please click HERE
If you would like to be involved in this study please contact Alannah or Clodagh at [email protected] or 087 4472786
ADHD Ireland | 14th of July 2024
RESEARCH CLOSED
21/09/2023
Women’s Health and ADHD: An Irish Perspective
University College Dublin (UCD) in collaboration with the HSE & ADHD Ireland are asking women with ADHD (diagnosed or self-diagnosed) who have experienced menstruation, pregnancy, or menopause to take part in a short online survey. This survey aims to describe how women with ADHD in Ireland experience these three areas.If you are a woman over the age of 18, living in Ireland and would like to take part, please click the link below which will take you to the survey. Full survey details are included in the Participant Information page. Please take time to read this page carefully.
Click HERE for further information and participate in the research.
If you have any questions on the survey, please contact Christine Boyd via email: [email protected]
Updated on 2nd of October 2023
RESEARCH CLOSED
11/07/2023
Telehealth & ADHD Survey
Please, before completing the survey read the information below.
~ We are looking for parents and caregivers of children and teenagers with ADHD to participate in a short online survey about telehealth.
~ What is telehealth? The phone and video visits between child and/or parent and healthcare professional.
~ The study is being conducted by Emer Galvin, PhD researcher, at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.
To be eligible to take part in the study, you must be:
• A parent/caregiver of a child or teenager with ADHD
• Over the age of 18
• Living in Ireland
• Able to comprehend English well enough to complete the survey
The survey is anonymous and will take about 10 minutes to complete. It contains questions about previous experience of telehealth (if you have any) and your opinions about wanting, or not wanting, to use telehealth.
Even if you have never used telehealth, we would still like to hear your views!
Click HERE to participate in the research.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the lead researcher, Emer Galvin at [email protected].
RESEARCH CLOSED
12/06/2023
Impact of the CAMHS Kerry Review and Maskey Report on caregiver and clinician views of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
Click HERE to participate in part 1 of the research.
Please, before completing the survey, please, first read the information below as there are 2 stages to the research.
Principal investigator’s name: Prof. Fiona McNicholas – Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist
Co-investigator’s name: Dr Laura Bond – Senior Registrar in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
You are being invited to take part in a research study to be carried out at University College Dublin by Professor Fiona McNicholas Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist and Dr Laura Bond Senior Registrar in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
Before you decide whether you wish to take part, you should read the information provided below. You should clearly understand the risks and benefits of taking part in this study so that you can make a decision that is right for you. You don’t have to take part in this study.
If you do take part in the study, we will ask you to complete a survey online. You will not be required to give any personal details and all your answers will be anonymous.
What is the study and why is it being done?
The CAMHS Kerry Review was carried out due to concerns about care planning, diagnosis of mental health disorders, prescribing practices and supervision of junior doctors in a CAMHS service in Kerry. Following this review, a report called the Maskey report was published which found the treatment to 240 children by doctors were risky. Additionally, there was proof of significant harm to 46 children.
For further information on the Maskey report, please click the following link:
We want to explore caregiver’s and clinicians’ views on CAMHS services in Ireland and whether this has changed since the publication of the CAMHS Kerry Review and Maskey Report. This is important because if parent satisfaction and trust in CAMHS has declined, we need to find out reasons why so we can act appropriately to rebuild trust. Additionally, we want to know if there has been any impact on doctors. It is important to involve clinicians and seek their ideas, concerns and expectations about how CAMHS improve, move forward and repair its reputation.
Who is organising and funding this study?
This research is being conducted by Professor Fiona McNicholas and Dr Laura Bond at University College Dublin. Both are clinicians in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
This study is being conducted voluntarily, which means that the researchers are not receiving additional payment to conduct this research. The study is not being funded by any pharmaceutical or other companies.
We are also asking all our participants to volunteer their time to help us complete this research. We are not being paid to recruit participants to this study.
Who is organising and funding this study?
This research is being conducted by Professor Fiona McNicholas and Dr Laura Bond at University College Dublin. Both are clinicians in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
This study is being conducted voluntarily, which means that the researchers are not receiving additional payment to conduct this research. The study is not being funded by any pharmaceutical or other companies.
We are also asking all our participants to volunteer their time to help us complete this research. We are not being paid to recruit participants to this study.
Why am I being asked to take part?
You are being asked to take part in the study because either you are a caregiver of a child under the age of 18 and are currently or were previously linked in with mental health services (CAMHS, Jigsaw, As I Am or Enable Ireland etc) or you are a clinician working in CAMHS.
How will the study be carried out?
The study will consist of two stages. Stage 1 is an anonymous online survey and stage 2 is a face to face or online interview or focus group. Everyone will be invited to participate in stage 1 but only those who directly request the researchers will participate in stage 2.
What questions will I be asked?
In stage 1, we will invite you to complete an online survey via Google Forms.
For caregivers, this survey will ask you questions about your views on CAMHS and if this has changed since the South Kerry CAMHS Review and Maskey Report.
For clinicians, the survey will ask you about your experience working in CAMHS and if this has changed since the Maskey Report.
In stage 2, we will ask similar questions but as these are interviews/focus groups it will allow more detailed answers and discussions.
What will happen to me if I agree to take part?
You will be directed to the survey online which will use Google Forms and ask to provide consent. You will then complete the online survey which will take less than 10 minutes. Once completed, the researcher contact details will be provided if you want to participate in stage 2. If you request to participate in stage 2 then a researcher will arrange a day/time for you to attend an interview or focus group either face to face or online depending on your preference.
Will there be audio recordings?
Some participants will be invited for either an interview or focus group. Audio of these interviews will be recorded so the researchers can copy the interviews/discussions into a written document onto their computers and analyse it for the study. Once copied over, the audio recordings will be destroyed. Participants have the right, should they wish, to review and edit any transcripts to which they have contributed.
What are the benefits?
There are no benefits for you taking part in this research other than that the valuable feedback you provide will be used to contribute to the body of research. This data ultimately may be very clinically relevant and help to improve CAMHS services in Ireland.
What are the risks?
There are no anticipated risks for anyone participating in the study, however, given the sensitivity of the discussions some caregivers/clinicians who may have been directly affected by the review could be at risk of becoming upset. We have provided contact details for support that participants may avail of if this occurs.
For caregivers:
HSE FAQs for young people and their families:
South Kerry CAMHS Review information line freephone – 1800 742 800
For clinicians:
HSE Employee Assistance Programme
The HSE Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) is a work-based support service for staff and the organisation. This is a confidential independent service. It supports employees with psychosocial issues (psychological and social factors that influence mental health). These issues may be personal or work-related, affecting your job performance or home life. The service is free and available to all HSE employees.
Call 0818 327 327 to speak to someone who can help.
Will it cost me anything to take part?
For those attending stage 2 of the study if they prefer face to face interviews or focus groups they will need to travel to Dublin. If this is not possible then the participant can opt to do the interview or focus group online.
Is the study confidential?
The survey is anonymous so the researchers will not be able to identify any participant with their responses. The database will be only accessed and interrogated by the research team. Data extracted will be entered onto a password protected excel spreadsheet
If you attend an interview or focus group, participants will be given a unique study number and all responses will be inputted into the data spreadsheet using these unique study numbers so we cannot identify any participant with a response.
Data Protection
We will not be using your personal information in our research.
1. The legal basis under which we are processing your data is Article 6.1 (a) and Article 9.2 (a) GDPR 2016
2. Only members of the research team will have access to the information – it will not be accessible to anyone who is not involved in the study.
3. Data will be stored anonymously on password protected and encrypted computers with only the researchers having access.
4. Data will be destroyed following completion of the study.
5. It will not be possible for you to be removed from the study if you change their mind after completion of the survey, interview or focus group due to anonymisation of the data as it will not be possible to separate your data from everyone else’s data.
6. If you have any concerns about the study, you are entitled to lodge a complaint to the Data Protection Commissioner
7. It will not be possible for participants to request access, and obtain a copy, of the information provided for this study due to anonymisation of the data as it will not be possible to separate your data from everyone else’s data.
Where can I get further information?
If you have any further questions about the study or if you want to opt out of the study, you can rest assured it won’t affect the quality of treatment your child gets in the future.
If you need any further information now or at any time in the future, please contact:
Principal Investigator: Prof Fiona McNicholas
Address: 59 Orwell Road, Rathgar, Dublin 6
Phone No: (01) 4923596
*Please note that this phone is only answered during office hours (Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm). Please feel free to leave a voice message outside of these hours if you wish to do so. This number is only for queries relating to the study and should not be used to enquire about any other matter. If you need to speak to a member of your child’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Team (CAMHS) please contact them directly.
Click HERE to participate in part 1 of the research.
Closed research
8/05/2023
The Psychosocial Cost of Undiagnosed Adult ADHD in Ireland.
University College Dublin
We are looking for participants for a study that aims to explore the psychosocial costs of undiagnosed ADHD in Ireland by identifying the various challenges associated with growing up with unrecognised ADHD.
This study is being conducted by the UCD School of Psychology, in collaboration with ADHD Ireland and the HSE National Clinical Programme for ADHD in Adults
In order to be considered eligible for this study, you must be over the age of 18, have fluent English, be ordinarily resident in Ireland and have a ADHD (either formally diagnosed or self-identified).
If you choose to participate, you will be invited to share your experience of adult ADHD in relation to several functional domains including education, occupation, health, relationships, and the criminal justice system. The survey should take approximately 15-20 minutes.
Thank you for reading this information and for considering taking part in this research.
If you wish to participate, please click HERE.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to get in touch [email protected]
Thank you so much again for your help!
Research Closed
26/09/2022
Topic: The Empowerment of Women with ADHD
We would like to invite you to take part in our research project.
Before you decide to do so, it is important you understand why the research is being done and what it will involve. Please take time to read the following information carefully and discuss it with others if you wish.
Please ask us if there is anything that is not clear or if you would like more information. Take time to decide whether or not you wish to take part.
What you would need to do: attend two meetings
- Focus Group (online) on the 7th October
- A brief meeting (online) before the focus group (at a day / time convenient to you)
Criteria:
- Identify as having/being ADHD
- Aged 18-40 years old
- Speak English well enough to participate in a group discussion
Please can you contact Dr. Kate Carr Fanning directly about your participation [email protected]
DETAILED PARTICIPANTS INFORMANTS
What is the project’s purpose?
This research project aims to explore women with ADHD and their empowerment in education and employment. This project builds on a growing awareness that the experiences of women with ADHD is different to that of men. For example, symptoms may present differently, women more often go undiagnosed until adulthood / are missed in school, women are more likely to try and succeed at masking their difficulties. In addition, there is growing awareness that we should move away from research and practice that focuses on trying to ‘fix’ deficits, and instead focus on constructing environment (in schools and workplaces) that are inclusive and empowering. We believe that an understanding of how to create these environments this should be done in partnership with women with ADHD.
Why have I been chosen?
You have been chosen because you are a woman with ADHD aged between 18 and 40 years old who lives in Europe. Please know that the research will be carried out in English and so a good understanding and use of the language is needed.
Do I have to take part?
No.
Participation is entirely voluntary. It is up to you to decide whether or not to take part. If you do decide to take part you will be able to keep a copy of this information sheet and you should indicate your agreement to the online consent form.
You can still withdraw at any time. You do not have to give a reason.
What will happen to me if I take part and what will I have to do?
There are two stages to the study, you can chose to take part in both, one, or none.
Stage 1) You will be asked to meet with one of our researchers briefly online (approx. 15-20 minutes) and then take part in a focus group:
- Individual meeting: We will find a time that works for you to meet online. We want to know you a little bit (so we will ask you some questions about yourself), explain the project in greater detail, answer any questions you have, and make sure you’re happy to participate.
- Focus group: Planned for the 7th October 2022. This will last about one hour, it will be online, and there will be 6-8 woman with ADHD in the group.
Stage 2) The findings from the Focus Group will be discussed with a larger group of women with ADHD.
What are the possible disadvantages and risks of taking part?
Participating in the research is not anticipated to cause you any particular disadvantages or discomfort. However, there are always some risks to discussing your experiences, especially if you are discussing experiences that may be upsetting for you from your past. But, please remember you do not need to talk about anything you do not want to, you don’t have to answer any question that makes you uncomfortable, and you can stop participating whenever you like.
What are the possible benefits of taking part?
Whilst there are no immediate benefits for those people participating in the project, sometimes people find the experience of sharing lived experience positive. It is also hoped that this work will have benefits in terms of informing professionals and advocating for better practices in education and employment, and the wider public about what works in practice for women with ADHD. This research was requested by ADHD Europe and will inform their advocacy work.
What happens if the research study stops earlier than expected?
Should the research stop earlier than planned and you are affected in any way we will tell you and explain why.
What if something goes wrong?
If you have any complaints about the project in the first instance you can contact any member of the research team. The lead researcher Dr Kate Carr-Fanning can be contacted on [email protected]
If you feel your complaint has not been handled to your satisfaction you can contact the School of Education, Trinity College Dublin to take your complaint further.
Address: School of Education, Room 3087, Arts Building, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
Email: [email protected]
Will my taking part in this project be kept confidential?
Yes
All the information that we collect about you during the course of the research will be kept strictly confidential. You will not be able to be identified or identifiable in any reports or publications or at the feedback session.
Any data collected about you in the online consent form or within the focus group will be stored online in a form protected by passwords and other relevant security processes and technologies. The focus groups will be audio recorded.
Data collected may be shared in an anonymised form to allow reuse by the research team and other third parties. These anonymised data will not allow any individuals or their institutions to be identified or identifiable.
What will happen to the results of the research project?
Results of the research will be published. You will not be identified in any report or publication. Your institution or organisation will not be identified in any report or publication. If you wish to be given a copy of any reports resulting from the research, please ask us to put you on our circulation list.
Thank you for taking part in this study
Reserch Closed
18/07/2022
Research for parents of ADHD children and for parents whose children do not have ADHD.
Maynooth University Research
Topic: Development of a Childhood ADHD Sleep Scale
In this study we want to find out about your child’s sleep functions and sleep related behaviours. If you would like to participate, you are requested to read and respond to an information and consent sheet, following which you will be asked to complete a custom-made questionnaire on the online survey tool of Qualtrics ®.
You will be requested to complete one part of this questionnaire again 2 weeks later through a separate Qualtrics link HERE
To thank you for your time, you will receive a 10 Euros gift card on completing your participation.
Thank you so much again for your help!
RESEARCH RESULTS CLICK HERE
Research results:
- 12th of April 2022 Adult ADHD and Suicide