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Archive for January, 2015

UCL Qualitative Health Research Symposium: Enriching Qualitative Inquiry Health (18 Feb)

By Kim Morgan, on 29 January 2015

Interest in qualitative approaches is growing among research communities concerned with health, illness and care.  This is clearly indicated by the rise of mixed methods studies, the proliferation of qualitative health eventresearch journals and conferences, and the marked presence of qualitative researchers in academic centres of health research.

While this reflects the recognition and endorsement of its contribution, the inclusion of qualitative approaches in health research is not straightforward.  Indeed, tensions remain between the conceptual and methodological approaches of qualitative research and those of a quantitative paradigm generally more familiar to health practitioners, policymakers and often other researchers.  These tensions foreground questions to be explored around the applicability, value, contribution, legitimacy and limitations of qualitative inquiry within the prevailing research culture.

The UCL Division of Psychiatry’s Qualitative Researchers Working Group is collaborating with the UCL Department of Applied Health Research and the UCL Health Behaviour Research Centre on a one day symposium to discuss these questions and to generate constructive commentary on the contributions that qualitative inquiry can make to understandings of health, illness and care.

Papers cohere around three key themes: (1) problematising the research landscape, (2) re-approaching familiar frameworks, and (3) enriching the potential for qualitative approaches in research on health, illness and care.

The symposium will include a keynote paper by Dr Sara Shaw, Queen Mary University of London and a panel discussion featuring Professor Paul Higgs, UCL Division of Psychiatry, Professor Naomi Fulop, UCL Department of Applied Health Research, and Professor Richard Watt, UCL Epidemiology and Public Health.

For more information about the symposium and to register please click here.  For the full symposium programme please click here.

Chris Anderson to RideLondon for Marie Curie Cancer Care

By Kim Morgan, on 16 January 2015

Division of Psychiatry researcher Chris Anderson writes:

“I will be riding in the Prudential RideLondon 100 this August for Marie Curie Cancer Care as part of the Daffodil Team.

I would really appreciate it if you could make a donation.

I have set a very low target of £700 to raise but would really like to achieve more than this – at least  £1000 – which I do not think is too unreasonable.

I am a keen cyclist but have become more serious over the past few years. My weekly commute to work across London is 125 mile a week.

As a nurse I can fully appreciate how difficult things are for families when someone they love is terminally ill with cancer and the support provided by Marie Curie is absolutely invaluable.

As a researcher in ovarian cancer I interviewed over 1000 women as part of still ongoing research to help women survive this disease, and I am very aware of the impact this cancer and the related bowel, breast and prostate cancers, have on families.

If you could make a donation I would be extremely grateful – your support will encourage me not only on the ride itself but throughout the year on my training rides too. But most importantly it will provide much needed funding for the nurses of Marie Curie to provide the level of support cancer patients and their families need: £20 pays for the cost of 1 nurse for 1 hour!

Many Thanks, with Best Wishes

Chris”

Here is the link:

http://www.justgiving.com/London-Ride-100-Chris-Anderson

Lauren Yates reflects on iCST event concluding major research project

By Kim Morgan, on 12 January 2015

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Individual Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (iCST) is a programme of mentally stimulating activities for carers and people with dementia to do together at home. Typically pairs complete up to 3, 20-30 minute sessions per week over 25 weeks. Each session is themed (eg: word games, current affairs, being creative) with a choice of activities to cater for the interests and abilities of the person.

 

iCST is based on group Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST), an evidence based psychosocial intervention, which has been found to benefit cognition and quality of life for people with dementia (see www.cstdementia.com for more information). With input from carers, people with dementia, and experts in the field, the iCST programme and materials were developed to cater for those unable to access CST groups. The programme was then evaluated in a large scale randomized controlled trial (RCT) across 8 research sites in the UK: London, Bangor, Hull, Manchester, Dorset, Devon, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk & Suffolk.

 

In early December we held an event for members of the iCST teams and study participants at Friends House to mark the end of the trial. We wanted to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of those involved, and share the results of the main trial and quantitative interviews. In addition to presentations from Professor Martin Orrell, Phuong Leung, and myself from the London team, the day included talks from Dr. Ruth Newman who gave us a lively and entertaining account of Devon team’s experience of iCST, and Dave Prothero who gave us a compelling insight into the experience and value of patient public involvement (PPI) in research.

 

It was a real pleasure to host the event, and to have the opportunity to catch up with teams and carers I enjoyed working with over the course of the study. For me, the highlight of the day was being able to present everyone with the newly published iCST Manual ‘Making a Difference 3’ (see careinfo.org for more information), and show clips from the accompanying DVD. The partnerships we established with the various research sites were very successful, and we hope that there will be other opportunities to collaborate on future research projects.

Psychiatry research seminar 14/10/15 on “The obituary of a culture bound syndrome”

By Kim Morgan, on 5 January 2015

The Division of Psychiatry Research Seminar will take place on Wednesday 14th January at  3pm

MALET PLACE ENGINEERING BUILDING – Room 1.02

Gower Street WC1E 6BT  (https://goo.gl/maps/e0TSQ)

 Sushrut Jadhav (Division of Psychiatry)

will present  a seminal event: the obituary of a culture bound syndrome

More details at events.ucl.ac.uk/event/event:kgx-i35uwjgs-6d47lc