Got the carrots thanks

University closes this evening until 4th January, so I thought I'd sign off with my top picks from this year's festive journal articles:

An unexpected christmas present - Failure of a 48-inch waterline

Look what Santa Pharma brought for Christmas: A urological drug to treat the whole patient

and

Optimizing a basal bark spray of dinotefuran to manage armored scales (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) in Christmas tree plantations

I think I've had enough of the academic life for now so I might start on the cocktail sausages.

Having an assistance dog

Today I have been giving some feedback on a draft PhD chapter, and thinking about people's experiences of having dogs in the family, when a member is ill or disabled.

Have been looking at a few published accounts, including:

• A Puppy Called Aero: An Inspirational Story by Liam Creed
• Endal: How one extraordinary dog brought a family back from the brink by Allen Parton
• Every Dog Has A Gift : True Stories of Dogs Who Bring Hope & Healing into Our Lives by Rachel McPherson
• Healing Companions: Ordinary Dogs and Their Extraordinary Power to Transform Lives by Jane Miller
• Learn with LaDee: A Service Dog by Betty Jean Pearson
• My Invisible World: Life With My Brother, His Disability and His Service Dog by Morasha R. Winokur
• Please...Don't Eat the Crayons, Harry!: Moving Beyond Attention Deficit with Help from a Service Dog Named Harry! by Rita Kirsch Debroitner
• Sassy: The short stories of being a service dog by Elizabeth Reeve
• Second Chance: How Adoption Saved a Boy with Autism & His Shelter Dog by Sandra J. Gerencher
• The Dog that Saved My Life: Incredible true stories of canine loyalty beyond all bounds  by Isabel George
• The Joy of Lex: Life with a Service Dog by John Thomas Clark
• Transformation of the Heart: Tales of the Profound Impact Therapy Dogs Have on Their Humans by Teri Pichot

But for now I am off through the snow (on foot, sans wheelbarrow) to see if Sainsburys have any carrots...

MY icicle

It was too dark yesterday by the time I blogged to take a pic of MY icicle, so I used one from wiki commons. Here today, in all its splendour is mine...

Been reading some interesting papers today on the theme of fertility monitoring, including:

Diaz, M. (1997). Gender, sexuality and communication issues that constitute barriers to the use of natural family planning and other fertility awareness-based methods. Advances in Contraception, 13(2-3), 303-309. doi:10.1023/A:1006580727579

Severy, L. J., Robinson, J., Findley-Klein, C., & McNulty, J. (2006). Acceptability of a home monitor used to aid in conception: Psychosocial factors and couple dynamics. Contraception, 73(1), 65-71. doi:10.1016/j.contraception.2005.07.008

Sinai, I., Lundgren, R., Arévalo, M., & Jennings, V. (2006). Fertility awareness-based methods of family planning: Predictors of correct use. International Family Planning Perspectives, 32(2), 94-100.

Fertility awareness and self-monitoring

Have been doing a lot of literature searching today - looking at peer reviewed research on the use of various self-tests and monitors women can use to detect periods of low and high fertility.

These are used both as methods of natural contraception, and to assist those actively trying to enhance their changes of conceiving.

They have become fairly high tech recently, and some are systems rather than devices, using online data records and incorporating interactivity.

There is also a lot of money to be made/spent on these technologies.  While there is a literature on their efficacy in terms of 'hard outcomes' (conception/non-conception being the most obvious) I've not seen much on the psychosocial impact of using them.

Meanwhile, I have been enjoying watching a big icicle wax and wane outside my study window in the course of the day...

Marketing motivational interviewing

Have been asked by a senior colleague for some quotes from our Motivational Interviewing course evaluations, which can be used to market the courses:

"This was very insightful and applicable outside of work also - helpful for reflective practice."


"I found it really interesting and I gained a lot from it. I would be extremely interested in taking it further, so if you could keep in touch with any potential opportunities or further training I would very grateful."

I also signposted her to the poster presentations I made at the British Psychological Society Annual Conference 2010, and the European Health Psychology Society conference in September. The poster be viewed at this link.

Have just noticed that the online shop link for the course doesn't mention that it is approved by the CPD centre at the British Psychological Society, so must get this sorted out today.

False dawn...

Okay so that last post was a bit premature...

Two weeks on I think I am finally emerging from the brain fog that accompanied my strange cold-flu hybrid affliction - which hubbie has suggested 'may' have been swine flu.

Have continued to work in the interim as time has been running rapidly out on my sabbatical, but haven't had the energy to blog at the end of each working day.

Usual work activities ongoing. My whiteboard now has 12 priority projects on it, with the aim to cycle through them in order:

• Developing a self management behaviour change intervention in PCOS
• Qualitative study of healthcare experiences
• Expert Patient intervention for PCOS
• Psychology and disaster management project
• Ryder Cheshire Volunteers research
• Developing a decision support aid
• The motivational interviewing courses at Coventry

Plus several new 'mystery' collaborations, which relate to students' research skills development, my volunteer tutoring for the Expert Patient Programme, children's health and a piece of technology relating to subfertility.

Oh and then there's the small matter of an imminent new term with normal teaching duties (complete with much reduced turnaround times for marking). Looks like I'm going to be busy...

Pic courtesy of dawnmist - visit her website for clanger images, pottery, chemicals and much much more.

Emerging from the fog

Haven't had a terribly productive day due to brain fade associated with having a cold (why does it have this effect?), I think/hope I am now emerging from the fog.

I have a big backlog of stuff I wanted to do but didn't get done - mostly following on from the motivational interviewing and Verity/PCOS activities last week. Especially interested in the government's plans to shift responsibility for public health from the NHS to local authorities, and a call fromThe Kings Fund and Centre for Mental Health for greater efficiency in mental health services.

Human Strengths

Came across this on the BBC new site.  'Ordinary' people are often truly inspirational:
Gill Hicks, Jude Onyeze, David Boyce

Cold feet, RSI and the common cold

Not only have a cold but now in danger of getting repetitive strain injury from fixing a little (ish) problem in the disaster management spreadsheet that our interns are working on. Lots of abstracts have been truncated as a consequence of being exported from RefWorks.  Note to self: Never ever use this method again - always export directly from SCOPUS. 

Am hoping to get the mended spreadsheet back up on our SharePoint site tomorrow.

Back in the provinces

Successful couple of days in London, making some good contacts which I hope to follow up on soon.


Was especially intrigued by the complexities of choosing treatment for hirsutism - how women negotiate their way successfully through this minefield is a mystery to me. Am interested to see if there are any decision support aids available.

Also talked to Oriane who works for a company who've developed a novel system to enable women to monitor their menstrual cycles - to take more control over fertility.

Think I am getting a cold - why does this interfere with my ability to think properly?

Still waiting for the raucousness to kick in...

Big smoke for a couple of days

Rather annoyingly had news today that the student I spent half a day designing a personalised programme of retake work for last week didn't bother to turn up for the first scheduled meeting. Wondering sometimes why we bother...


Pleased to get an email today from someone who attended our motivational interviewing day yesterday, and hoping to develop an applied research collaboration as a result.  I always meet people working on interesting projects when I run these events, and it's nice to have a chance to find out more about their work.


Off to London tomorrow for a couple of days related conference activity.


Friday
PCOS UK (health professionals conference) , with topics including:

PCOS, Physical Activity and Insulin Resistance
Practical steps to tackling common dermatology issues
Living with PCOS - developing effective coping strategies
Reducing the quality of life impact of PCOS - top tips for primary care
Research Digest
Cardiovascular risk and PCOS - effective management strategies
The risks and benefits of bariatric surgery in the management of PCOS
 
Saturday
Verity (patient group for women whose lives are affected by PCOS), topics including:


Emotional impact of PCOS - Colette Harris
Get to know your menstrual cycle - Dr Lisa Webber
Alopecia and excess hair - Dr Alison Layton
Being slim with PCOS - Speaker TBC
Weight loss options for PCOS - Dr David Haslam
PCOS and your fertility - Professor Stephen Franks

Staying in a Travelodge so not taking my laptop and therefore no posts.  No offence Travelodge, I just don't fancy leaving it in boot of car all day.

A better day

A more productive day today (I think):

Training workshop on motivational, interviewing with some very engaged and interesting delegates. 

Was rather nippy in the Jaguar Building, but we just about coped.

One of the things we discussed was the use of motivational interviewing with children.  I suspect that there may be a need to adapt the delivery - perhaps by using graphics, games and stories, etc. that take into account children's level of socio-emotional and cognitive development - but haven't come across anything in print.

A couple of related papers are:

Gance-Cleveland, B. (2007). Motivational interviewing: Improving patient education. Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 21(2), 81-88.


Söderlund, L. L., Nordqvist, C., Angbratt, M., & Nilsen, P. (2009). Applying motivational interviewing to counselling overweight and obese children. Health Education Research, 24(3), 442-449.

We also (briefly) mentioned various systems for rating the quality of motivational interviewing. See:

Forsberg, L., Källmén, H., Hermansson, U., Berman, A., & Helgason, Á. (2007). Coding counsellor behaviour in motivational interviewing sessions: Inter-rater reliability for the swedish motivational interviewing treatment integrity code (MITI). Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, 36(3), 162-169.


Madson, M. B., & Campbell, T. C. (2006). Measures of fidelity in motivational enhancement: A systematic review. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 31(1), 67-73.

Mastroleo, N. R., Mallett, K. A., Turrisi, R., & Ray, A. E. (2009). Psychometric properties of the peer proficiency assessment (PEPA): A tool for evaluation of undergraduate peer counselors' motivational interviewing fidelity. Addictive Behaviors, 34(9), 717-722.

Wallace, L., & Turner, F. (2009). A systematic review of psychometric evaluation of motivational interviewing integrity measures. Journal of Teaching in the Addictions, 8(1-2), 84-123.

Snag after snag

Past week has been a further series of technical difficulties - and not just with IT. That's my excuse anyway for lack of posts.

While something nasty has been growing under our stealthily leaking bathroom at home (actual mushroom-shaped mushrooms! urgh) I have also been:

• Writing a draft of a research paper on PCOS and healthcare experiences.
• Biting my nails in dread of getting a rejection letter relating to the last paper I submitted to a journal.
• Setting up a SharePoint group and blog for the interns working on the Disaster Management project.
• Checking for consistency the answers prospective interns gave to the online coding quality/consistency test they have to pass in order to move onto data coding in earnest.
• Updating my knowledge in motivational interviewing to make sure that I am prepared for a particular group of delegates attending our motivational interviewing course tomorrow - some are forensic psychologists and some health psychology researchers working with young children.
• Setting up a programme of work and online materials for a student who failed a module last year, who is entitled to retake it, even though the programme no longer exists.
• And sundry other bits of admin, marketing, etc.

The prospect of my sabbatical ending at the end of December and my having to be back on campus more is a little daunting, but I am looking forward to attending the research seminars we have on Wednesdays.  here are some of the forthcoming talks for the new year:

12th January
Simon Goodman
Coventry University
How race and racism are removed from anti-asylum arguments

26th January
Christine Grant
Coventry University
The development of actionable work life balance measures in the context of e-working an their relationship to well being and job effectiveness’

2nd February
Carol Percy and Stacey Harris
Coventry University
Learning and leisure aspiration of people with physical disabilities: A placement research project with Ryder Cheshire Volunteers

9th February
Leigh Harkins
University of Birmingham
The Impact of Denial in Sex Offenders

2nd March

Karen Littleton
Open University
Educational Dialogues: Understanding and promoting productive interaction

9th March
Sarah Butterworth
Coventry University
Male experience of breast cancer

16th March
Claire Taylor
ARC/HLI
Enhancing and assessing fidelity of delivery of health behaviour change interventions in Primary Care’

23rd March
Ben Roberts
Coventry University
Extra-Sensory Perception: Fact or Science Fiction? Experimental and Qualitative Studies of Psi Phenomena

30th March
Steph Waldron, Sophie Bowry, and Gemma Gray
Coventry University
Context dependent memory; Gum chewing and stress

Fog, frost and technical snags

Sent a large part of yesterday on the M6, travelling to and from and meeting with colleagues in the North.  Managed to skip most of the fog and car mishaps, and the visit was well worth while - for me anyway.

I met some healthcare colleagues I'd last seen at the Endocrine Nurse Update event in September.  They were kind enough to show me around their PCOS clinic and let me sit in a for a while.  We also had some early stage discussions about possible applied research collaboration.

Writing an outline draft of a paper today and responding to various emails about the Disaster Management research.  We have had a few technical problems and have had to resort to delivering data in person.  I hope everyone is wrapped up well...

Clunky link but: The weekend saw progress with both the leaf clearing and my new home made coat.  Had to stop at the pockets as I was having a bit of a mental block interpreting the instructions. But I've worked it out now and might get it finished next weekend.

Can it really be Friday already?

Where does the time go???

Packaged up some data from my PCOS research and sent it off for independent analysis by my two colleagues Lynne and Rachael.  Will be really interesting to get together and compare our analyses.  Having others look at data you've collected is great as they always spot things you haven't.

Ran through the online coding test I've designed for interns on the disaster management project.  It seems to be working ok so I should be able to post the link to individuals once they've gotten through the literature searching task on SCOPUS.

Prepared a presentation for Monday to talk through with NHS colleagues I am meeting in the North of England.  Looking forward to seeing them again, and sitting in on their clinics.

And for the weekend: if the wind and rain stops I shall mostly be sucking up leaves from the garden.  If it doesn't, I hope to make a Butterick Pattern B5297. It says "FAST AND EASY" - that remains to be seen...

Testing the interns

Slower going today:

Writing some instructions on literature searching, and designing a test for our (so far) six prospective interns on the disaster management project. Applicants need to pass so we can ensure the quality and consistency of our data analysis.

Also happily signed off the ethics screening protocol for Felicity's survey of assistance dog providers. Looking forward to the data coming in.

Oh and meanwhile... while my hubbie was out treating an elderly patient the other night, he saw a farm offering private allotments.  I talked to them them today and should be getting one in January.  After several years on the waiting list in Warwick I am reaching a fever pitch of excitement!

Trying not to be mechanical...

Busy on campus day today:


Earlier part of morning attending the opening of the conference I mentioned yesterday. Inspired by colleagues’ presentations.

Late morning dealing with usual bunch of emails.

Excellent meeting with three co-researchers, to agree who was going to do what regarding two major data sets: women’s experiences with polycystic ovary syndrome, and families’ experiences with assistance dogs. Looking forward to both.

Then pitched the Disaster Management research internship to a pleasantly substantial group of students (and one graduate) who had expressed an interest. Despite the fact that we have no money to offer, it was gratifying to find that several people remained committed to taking the posts up, even after seeing my PowerPoint presentation.

After that it was back to the conference, where it seems that I missed some controversy and impassioned debate. Replace FGM, the associated project, aims to address problems associated with female genital mutilation, on health and human rights grounds. But the term ‘mutilation’ when applied in this context is problematic for some. Essentially the same surgical procedure requested by a white western woman might be deemed acceptable on the basis that it enhances her self-esteem or sexual confidence, yet condemned as abusive and oppressive in a black African woman. Huge issues here as regards how ‘we’ define ‘health’ and individual autonomy.

Meanwhile it all got a bit nasty at the student fees protests in London.  I know some of our students travelled to the event.  Just hope that none were involved, either as perpetrators of the violence, or innocent onlookers.

Double booked, but in a good cause

Good meeting today with Felicity, the PhD student I co-supervise with colleagues Gill Ward and Sandy Herron-Marx.  We agreed on work to be completed before the annual progress review meeting in early January.  And Felicity is almost ready to go live with her first set of data collection.  Link will appear on her blog soon.

Have also had to book a room for tomorrow to speak to all the prospective interns who've responded to my offer of research assistant experience. Am surprised and delighted that there's been such an enthusiastic response.  I am attending a conference organised by colleagues tomorrow but will have to fore go the afternoon session to talk to the candidates. The topic is one that I think deserves much more attention than it's had to date: recognising, preventing and addressing the problems associated with female genital mutilation.

Somewhat discouraged

Didn't post last Friday due to being (as we would put it in my native dialect) utterly fashed and teetotally scunnered.

Received an email in the afternoon that the research grant application Fang and I submitted earlier this year has been rejected (or more correctly not wanted for further development).

Hard not to take it personally given the work that went into it, but just have to find another way to get the work done.  Here's what the prospective funder said:

I write concerning your recent application to ..x.. This has been given careful consideration but I regret to inform you that, under the pressure of the competition for awards, your application has been seen as unlikely to secure a grant. Under the circumstances, I am afraid that I cannot encourage you to take the trouble to prepare a detailed application.


I appreciate that this will come as a disappointment to you. I regret also that there is no simple way in which the grounds for the decision can be satisfactorily imparted. Your proposal was reviewed alongside the many other calls upon the support of ..x.. and it is in this context that the decision has been made; any explanation would therefore require reference to the full array of proposals under consideration.


May I accordingly ask you to accept this response as an indicator of the many demands made upon ..x.. and as no reflection upon your courtesy in putting forward the bid.


Yours sincerely,Y

Spent weekend doing self-administered horticultural therapy - felt a bit sorry for a poor toad who I disturbed when cutting back the geraniums...Pic isn't mine as he was having a bad hair day and hopped away.

Delegation...

hmmm... been spending longer than I planned literature reviewing for the Disaster Management paper.  So time for some delegation.  I've set the parameters and analytical framework  - just need someone conscientious to follow my instructions and put the hours in.

I've offered this as a voluntary internship for a student who wants to develop their research skills, with the possibility of joint authorship as a reward at the end.  Hope someone takes it up...

pis credit: nothing to do with post - I just liked the wiki commons picture of the day.

Literature Searching in Disaster Management

Most of today has been spent literature searching in preparation for a manuscript my colleague and I are writing.

Percy, C. & Chen, Y.F.
The potential contribution of human psychology to disaster management: advance preparedness, acute responses and longer term psychosocial effects.
Paper to be presented to the 2nd International Conference on Disaster Management and Human Health: Reducing Risk, Improving Outcomes, 11 - 13 May 2011, Orlando, USA

Fortunately such searches no longer have to be done by hand or on foot, thanks to the university's excellent online library facilities.

Role play audio

Put some audio online today for a delegate from last week's motivational interviewing course.  We role played working with a number of different clients and recorded them to reflect on our practice.

Clients included:

‘Douglas’ - a man aged 25 years, who lives in a homeless persons shelter and is considering moving out. You meet Douglas while working as an occupational therapist in outreach. He really hates some aspects of living in the shelter, but is unsure if he’d be better off there or trying to find his own accommodation.

‘George’ - a man aged 65, who has had a lower limb amputation following complications of type 2 diabetes. George has been referred by domiciliary care as he has so far declined all offers of physical adaptations to his home.

 ‘Jane’ - a woman aged 45, who has been in the same job for 20 years and finds it unfulfilling. Jane heard about life coaching from a friend who found it useful and thought that you might help her decide whether she wants a change of career.

 ‘Mary’ - a woman aged 50 years, with a body mass index of 40.  Mary has been referred by her GP, as lifestyle advice has not resulted in the weight loss he has advised.

We focused on the four key areas of motivational interviewing:

• Expressing empathy
• Rolling with resistance
• Developing discrepancy
• Supporting self-efficacy

Our next course is on Wednesday 24^th November 2010. For further details and to book your place online see the online store.

Not NICE any more

Have had a bout of non-posting. I sometimes have a 'second wind' late evening and write something then, but from Weds to Friday last week I was finishing so late that I was too 'zausted to do so.

Wednesday - yet more data analysis; agreed to a PhD student from the Centre for Peace and Reconciliation Studies joining my health psych masters module in the New Year.  She is researching links between military, traumatic injury and sport, so I will be very interested to meet her and find out more.

Thursday - a most stimulating and rewarding day running training in motivational interviewing at the Graduate Centre. Some good evaluation feedback from a delegate who is training in Occupational Therapy:
"Really interesting. Application to practice obvious."


Friday - back to project planning; and making some minor edits to the online submission of the research paper we submitted on Monday.  Hoping it will be sent out for review soon.

Today:
Met with another PhD student to review a draft of her survey on assistance dogs organisations.  Looking very positive.

Attended a progress review panel conducted by video conferencing with a PhD student based overseas. 

Meanwhile, a lot of health related stories in the news:

National Institute for Health & Clinical Excellence will continue to advise the UK health service on effectiveness of medicines, but will no longer be able to approve/disapprove them being prescribed by clinicians.

A pilot in the Isle of Wight will offer girls from age 13 years up emergency contraception via community pharmacies.

A paper just published in the British Journal of Psychiatry suggests that military personnel serving in Iraq had lower rates of mental distress than people in other 'high stress' jobs, such as UK police.
Another paper in the same journal highlights the link between exercise at leisure, and reduced rates of depression. I failed to go for my usual walk today - oops.

Deep in the data: And poor old Emperor

Today I have been deeply immersed in some data - one of the luxuries that comes from being on sabbatical. Had to emerge periodically to send out information about our motivational interviewing courses, and will be making an uncharacteristic visit to campus tomorrow to prepare course materials.

Have noticed a couple of rather sad animal stories on the web today:
1. Paul the psychic octopus has died - seemingly from natural causes.
2. Someone with nothing better to do has shot the UK's biggest red deer stag, preventing it taking part in the imminent rut.

The BBC news article on this is an odd mixture of advertorial for stalker/shooting businesses, and melancholy reflection on human pointlessness....

(pic above isn't him)

Valiant efforts and fingers crossed

Despite the earlier IT difficulties, and with the valiant support of my co-author, I have now been able to submit our paper to the chosen journal.  Here's hoping that the editor thinks it's worth sending out for anonymous peer review.

Now to have lunch. Rumble rumble...

Not remotely connected

Wasted entire morning trying to connect remotely to the university's IT systems, as required for any work I do at home on location independent working.

On my second attempt to call IT services helpdesk (first attempt 9 minutes on hold with no reply) I am told that the service has been out since 8.30 am.  Would have been nice if the systems status board on the university website had mentioned this.  I could have stopped wasting my time and planned a day on campus instead. Oh and there's no indication of when it will be back up again.
Cross cross cross...

Which tracks?

Spent morning dealing with enquiries about our motivational interviewing courses.  Delighted that some psychology colleagues will be joining us on the courses in October and November.

Rest of day updating various contacts in relation to my grand research plans.

Also confirmed which tracks I will be attending at the forthcoming Verity conference in November.

Pic: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Raccoon_tracks.jpg

Drafting and crunching

Today:



I sent my bit of a paper off to a co-author for checking.


I started drafting a second.


I crunched a lot of data in an Excel spreadsheet.

Lots to say - and do

Had a good meeting today with PhD student and another member of the supervisory team.  Delighted with progress to date and planning a couple of preliminary empirical studies.  Felicity is on course to have lots to say at her end of year Progress Review Panel, which is due early 2011.

Had a brief chat with my co-author about the PCOS paper that's nearly ready  to submit.  We also discussed a bit of research assistant work that's coming up - one related to Felicity's assistance dogs research and the other to ongoing work with Ryder Cheshire Volunteers.

Have also been looking at some data collected from our level two undergraduates, about their vocational identities and career aspirations. 

And now it's ever so dark and I'm glad to be indoors...

Searching: Could it be you?

Spent most of today tailoring a research paper to meet the specific publication requirements of my key target journal.  Nearly there.

In the meantime, a call has come round the psychology department for an academic to talk to local media about the speculated lottery win that may have taken place in Coventry.

They would like someone to discuss the psychological impact of winning a huge sum of money, and the possible reasons why the winner of the recent Euromillions jackpot has not yet claimed it.

I was tempted to volunteer but (a) I have no particular expertise in this field and (b) I may well be tied up conducting a fingertip search of all the pavements and litter bins in Coventry... just in case.

pic: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/National_Lottery_play_here%2121_sign.jpg

Time for a trim

Spent today responding to enquiries about the motivational interviewing courses, and then trying to be ruthless with a research paper I've written on my PCOS research. 

It has a lot of qualitative data extracts in it, and I need to edit it from about 6,000 to 4,000 words.  When I last looked at it I found it impossible to decide which women's words could be cut out.  But if I want to have a chance of changing the way healthcare is offered in similar cases, I need to get at least part of the story published. A shorter paper that gets into print will have infinitely more impact than a longer 'richer' one that never sees the light of day.

Out with the metaphorical scissors I think.

Foraging

Another slightly taxing but (hopefully) productive day, split between more detailed project planning and marketing activities.

The online shop links for our motivational interviewing courses went up yesterday, just around the end of the business day, so I am now able to take bookings.

Now before it gets dark I must go outdoors and fill up the bird feeders with nigella - there are some rather cross looking goldfinches swarming around the garden who will expect their breakfast long before I surface in the morning.

The Joy of GANTT

(or trying to get a quart into a pint pot)

Have been wrestling with Gantt charts all day, trying to programme 4 years' worth of (perhaps rather ambitious) applied research work, for a grant application.  While MS project is a very useful planning tool, it hasn't half made my head go boggle.

I think some therapeutic activity is in order.  This evening I may try to make one of these (view A), from some of this:

Fabric credit: I think this came from cheap fabrics online, but I can't remember and think it is discontinued now :-(

Mapping out my hoped for future

Have spent most of today mapping out plans for a long term programme of research, which I hope will grow out of my current three month research sabbatical. Have been in touch with NHS colleagues in the North of England to meet up and discuss collaboration.  Unfortunately the exact plan is what, in these cash driven days is 'commercially sensitive', so I can't say more at present.

Meantime however, have also taken calls expressing interest in attending our next short course in motivational interviewing.  Am slightly concerned that the links for booking places are still not up on the cu online shop.  I have been assured that someone is working on it, but if you had hoped to book and can't see this link, please email me directly.

Coventry University
Introduction to Motivational Interviewing
Next course
Thursday 28th October 2010, The Graduate Centre, Coventry University

Trauma, resilience and future preparedness

The inquests into the deaths of the 52 people killed in the July 2005 attacks on London's public transport system opened today.



I have been thinking about the applied research work that has been done to document and address the psychosocial impacts, and help with future emergency preparedness. I am particularly interested in (and inspired by) the resilience displayed by individuals, groups and organisations affected.


Work on the psychosocial impact


Bux, S. M., & Coyne, S. M. (2009). The effects of terrorism: The aftermath of the London terror attacks. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 39(12), 2936-2966. doi:10.1111/j.1559-1816.2009.00556.x


Handley, R. V., Salkovskis, P. M., Scragg, P., & Ehlers, A. (2009). Clinically significant avoidance of public transport following the London bombings: Travel phobia or subthreshold posttraumatic stress disorder? Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 23(8), 1170-1176. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2009.07.023

Misra, M., Greenberg, N., Hutchinson, C., Brain, A., & Glozier, N. (2009). Psychological impact upon London Ambulance Service of the 2005 bombings. Occupational Medicine, 59(6), 428-433. doi:10.1093/occmed/kqp100


Rubin, G. J., Brewin, C. R., Greenberg, N., Hughes, J. H., Simpson, J., & Wessely, S. (2007). Enduring consequences of terrorism: 7-month follow-up survey of reactions to the bombings in London on 7 July 2005. British Journal of Psychiatry, 190(APR.), 350-356. doi:10.1192/bjp.bp.106.029785


Rubin, G. J., Brewin, C. R., Greenberg, N., Simpson, J., & Wessely, S. (2005). Psychological and behavioural reactions to the bombings in London on 7 July 2005: Cross sectional survey of a representative sample of londoners. British Medical Journal, 331(7517), 606-611. doi:10.1136/bmj.38583.728484.3A


Whalley, M. G., Farmer, E., & Brewin, C. R. (2007). Pain flashbacks following the July 7th 2005 London bombings. Pain, 132(3), 332-336. doi:10.1016/j.pain.2007.08.011




Work on future preparedness


Bland, S. A., Lockey, D. J., Davies, G. E., & Kehoe, A. D. (2006). Military perspective on the civilian response to the London bombings July 2005. Journal of the Royal Army Medical Corps., 152(1), 13-16.


Hughes, G. (2006). The London bombings of 7 July 2005: What is the main lesson? Emergency Medicine Journal, 23(9), 666. doi:10.1136/emj.2006.039586


Jacobs, L. M., & Burns, K. J. (2006). Terrorism preparedness: Web-based resource management and the TOPOFF 3 exercise. Journal of Trauma - Injury, Infection and Critical Care, 60(3), 566-571. doi:10.1097/01.ta.0000197379.40878.c7

Langdon, P., & Hosking, I. (2010). Inclusive wireless technology for emergency communications in the UK. International Journal of Emergency Management, 7(1), 47-58. doi:10.1504/IJEM.2010.032044


Lockey, D. J., MacKenzie, R., Redhead, J., Wise, D., Harris, T., Weaver, A., Hines, K., & Davies, G. E. (2005). London bombings July 2005: The immediate pre-hospital medical response. Resuscitation, 66(2) doi:10.1016/j.resuscitation.2005.07.005


Page, L., Rubin, J., Amlôt, R., Simpson, J., & Wessely, S. (2008). Are Londoners prepared for an emergency? A longitudinal study following the London bombings. Biosecurity and Bioterrorism, 6(4), 309-319. doi:10.1089/bsp.2008.0043


Shirley, P. J. (2006). Critical care delivery: The experience of a civilian terrorist attack. Journal of the Royal Army Medical Corps., 152(1), 17-21.


Shirley, P. J., & Mandersloot, G. (2008). Clinical review: The role of the intensive care physician in mass casualty incidents: Planning, organisation, and leadership. Critical Care, 12(3) doi:10.1186/cc6876


Wilson, J., Murray, V., & Kettle, J. N. (2009). The July 2005 London bombings: Environmental monitoring, health risk assessment and lessons identified for major incident response. Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 66(10), 642-643. doi:10.1136/oem.2008.039933

Picture credit: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/7-7_Memorial.JPG

Thinking...

After a yesterday making lots of phone calls and trying to set up meetings, in connection with continuing professional development courses, I have decided to have a day devoted to thinking and organising my ideas.

I think I'd have been rather surprised when I set out on an academic career to find that so little time would be available to sit and think deeply about things - but that's how it has turned out.

So today, instead of giving in to the tyranny of email and short term targets, I am going to really concentrate on what I want to achieve in my PCOS work for the next three years, so that I have a truly coherent set of plans to discuss with potential collaborators.  I already have a long list of possibilities, so it's just a question of dreaming up the best possible outcome to aim for.  Wish me luck...

Police officers sought for PhD research

Forgot (again) to post blog entry yesterday so making amends by posting on behalf of someone else today:

My colleague Amy Grubb
Calling all police officers... I am still looking for participants for my phd! If you are an officer in any of these forces and haven't already taken part please let me know: West Midlands, West Mercia, Hampshire, Warwickshire, Devon and Cornwall, and Staffordshire...

Amy can be contacted be email using this link. Her profile can be seen on our departmental web page at
http://wwwm.coventry.ac.uk/HLS/psychology/staff/Pages/Meetthestaff.aspx

Jam tomorrow

.
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Progress to date on sabbatical objectives...? hmmm

Spent morning reading and commenting on a draft PhD thesis chapter.  A fascinating area of research: the history and scope of animal based therapies. 

Spent afternoon drafting some continuing professional development programmes around health behaviour change, for health professionals.  Then in discussions about what professional bodies we should apply to for accreditation or endorsement of these.

May seem unrelated to my PCOS work, but coming up with externally funded courses like these, and marketing them successfully, is ultimately very important in creating time and funds for applied research activities. I am hoping that generating income towards our departmental targets will help me raise the funds I need personally to attend next year's Disaster Management conference. So I' hoping for jam tomorrow...

And I made a bid to supervise another PhD student this afternoon - hoping I am successful as the proposed project uses interpretative phenomenological analysis - one of my favourite research approaches.

I was also delighted to hear from someone running a specialist PCOS clinic, who'd attended my talk to the Endocrine Nurse Update last week. The very person I was hoping to catch up with over lunch but managed somehow to miss.  Am hopeful that this will lead to a fruitful and mutually beneficial collaboration.

Picture credit: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Malnalekvar.jpg

Hourly paid teaching posts

Can't believe I was still doing marking moderation today  - at the end of the first week of sabbatical.  I suppose it is inevitable that some teaching duties hang over into the beginning of the new term.

Also had a brief chat with the colleague who is covering my level tutor duties, about arrangements for returning students on Monday coming.

Our department has been able to offer some hourly paid teaching posts this year, to offer experience to aspiring new lecturers, and to free up colleagues to undertake applied research. There's an advert live at the moment, so if anyone's interested, please see the university website.

Whoopsie: double entry

Forgot to write my blog yesterday: "quel dommage!"

But just to show that I wasn't actually just goofing off somewhere...

Met with Disaster Management colleague Fang yesterday to plan the first draft of our paper for the conference in Florida next year. 

Have spent a lot of today reading details on various funding sites, including The British Academy, to whom I may be requesting help with conference travel costs.

Also spent time discussing marks with my co-assessor of MSc Health Psychology dissertation projects.  Some great studies:

• The experience of male breast cancer
• Assessing shared decision making in healthcare consultations
• The experience of women alcoholics
• The psychological impact of eczema
• Health information-seeking via the internet

We hope that some of our students will eventually submit their work for publication.

Psychosocial support needs in polycystic ovary syndrome

Nice visit to Stratford upon Avon today to speak at the Endocrine Nurse Update about psychosocial support needs in polycystic ovary syndrome.

I also heard some presentations that got me thinking.  While much of the biochemistry and physiology went over my head, I was struck by case presentations focused on endocrine cancers.

I thought I'd have a look at what work has been done on the psychosocial impact of these conditions (for example, multiple endocrine neoplasias), and indeed on supportive interventions. Although there have been calls for more work in this area, not much seems to have been published yet.  Perhaps one for a student on our MSc Health Psychology to look at researching for a dissertation project...

Picture: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/Stratford_Armouries_Elephant.jpg

A life on the ocean wave!

hmmm... Back after a few days holiday bobbing about in the Norfolk Broads.  I know it's probably raining there now but it still seems kind of appealing.

It's freshers week here, which means the streets of Coventry are vibrant/crawling with bright young things (depending on your point of view).

I am feeling ever so slightly smug as my sabbatical has started, meaning I am somewhat remote from the frenetic activities that herald a new academic year. 

I had a very fruitful meeting with PhD student today to discuss her plans for research on assistance dogs.  We are thinking about possible publications already.

Photo credits: Rope by Richardsons of Stalham, cardigan and trousers (just seen) knitted by the late Mrs Nimmons, Blackrock Road, Randalstown; hat - model's own.

Misty eyed

I have been working today  - HONEST.  More marking  - had enough now.  Just a few emails, etc. to deal with before it's time to put up the 'out of office' sign and then I'm officially on my hols.

Off to the misty autumnal Norfolk broads for a few days messing around in a boat. 

Review and planning day

Like most academic staff in the Psych Department, I was at the review and planning day today.  This is our 'getting ready to launch' meeting in preparation for the start of the autumn term.

Although a lot of the discussion revolved around arrangements for taught students - how to welcome freshers, develop our students' employability, ensure the quality of the course, etc. - we also discussed our plans for applied research and the various targets that we've been set for bringing in external income. 

As usual, it all seems rather daunting...  But on the other hand, we are really starting to build up a head of steam as regards psychology applied research.  Here are just a few of the publications authored by staff in 2010 - and the year isn't over yet!
 

Bowen, E. (2010). Therapeutic environment and outcomes in a U.K. domestic violence perpetrator program. Small Group Research, 41(2), 198-220. doi:10.1177/1046496409357081

Bowen, E., & Dixon, L. (2010). Concurrent and prospective associations between facial affect recognition accuracy and childhood antisocial behavior. Aggressive Behavior, 36(5), 305-314. doi:10.1002/ab.20357

Farrington-Flint, L., Canobi, K. H., Wood, C., & Faulkner, D. (2010). Children's patterns of reasoning about reading and addition concepts. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 28(2), 427-448. doi:10.1348/026151009X424222

Goodman, S., & Burke, S. (2010). 'Oh you don't want asylum seekers, oh you're just racist': A discursive analysis of discussions about whether it's racist to oppose asylum seeking. Discourse and Society, 21(3), 325-340. doi:10.1177/0957926509360743

Grubb, A. (2010). Modern day hostage (crisis) negotiation: The evolution of an art form within the policing arena. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 15(5), 341-348. doi:10.1016/j.avb.2010.06.002

Holliman, A. J., Wood, C., & Sheehy, K. (2010). Does speech rhythm sensitivity predict children's reading ability 1 year later? Journal of Educational Psychology, 102(2), 356-366. doi:10.1037/a0018049

Holliman, A. J., Wood, C., & Sheehy, K. (2010). The contribution of sensitivity to speech rhythm and non-speech rhythm to early reading development. Educational Psychology, 30(3), 247-267. doi:10.1080/01443410903560922

Sage, L., & Kavussanu, M.(2010). Moral identity and social goals predict eudaimonia in football. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, doi:10.1016/j.psychsport.2010.05.008

Taylor, L. M., Hume, I. R., & Welsh, N. (2010). Labelling and self-esteem: The impact of using specific vs. generic labels. Educational Psychology, 30(2), 191-202. doi:10.1080/01443410903494478

Wood, C., Pillinger, C., & Jackson, E. (2010). Understanding the nature and impact of young readers' literacy interactions with talking books and during adult reading support. Computers and Education, 54(1), 190-198. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2009.08.003

Different grades...

Today I have mostly been:
Doing an awful lot of marking.

Our MSc Health Psychology students each submit a paper prepared for publication in a specified journal, based on the empirical study they did for their dissertation.  Some interesting topics and high quality work - but marking them takes ages.  Grading each one is effectively the same as completing a peer review for a journal.  Each is marked by the original supervisor and independently marked by another memeber of the course team. 

The process hasn't been helped by having to be blind second marker on a resit undergraduate project which was three times the specified length!  Needless to say this did not endear it to me. 

Picture credit: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Different_grades_of_maple_syrup.jpg

Being helped - and feeling guilty?

"As a new user to the service..."Oh no I'm not!!!!!

You know how I'd almost finished my presentation for the Endocrine Nurse Update... 

Just needed to do the reference list.  About to do it this morning when disaster* struck. 

I've got in excess of 20,000 references in my RefWorks database - going back to student days in mid 1990's.  When I used EndNote, I always had a back up copy of the database, but now the University has ceased to support EndNote and switched to RefWorks, I don't have that facility.  On logging in this morning I was greeted as a new user (with no references) and invited to CREATE my database.  Horror...

I have been assured that RefWorks know about the problem, which appears to be affecting all Coventry University users.  I just hope they get it sorted out soon.

On a less frustrating note: did a telephone interview with a journalist today, about the work Glenn Furnell and I presented about the experience of Midlanders whose homes were flash flooded.  Have also seen three very interesting papers that have been published in the interim:

Carroll et al 2009 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18996730

Carroll et al 2010 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20618385

Mason et al 2010 http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a918846798~db=all~jumptype=rss


*I realise of course that the meaning of this word is somewhat context-specific ;-)