Please feel welcome to join us for the Annual Peter Dempsey Lecture in Applied Psychology 2025 this Thursday 27th March 2025, in room G7/8, Cork Enterprise Centre, North Mall Campus, and via live-stream. You are welcome from 5.30pm for refreshments: the lecture commences at 6pm. This year the lecture will be given by Professor Elizabeth Meins, whose research focuses on developmental psychology.

SFI Lero and Breakthrough Cancer Research Digital tools such as discussion boards, apps and websites are often noted as leading sources of cancer misinformation. This misinformation might pertain to prevention of cancer, screening outcomes and treatment options. In the  current digital era, many patients unsurprisingly seek out information via the internet. It is unrealistic to expect patients to avoid online information pertaining to a diagnosis they have received, which makes it all the more important to equip patients with the tools to evaluate information they are engaging with.

SoAP PhD student, Billy Fitzgerald, and co-authors, Christopher McCusker, Maria Dempsey, and Audrey Dunn Galvin, recently published a research paper in the Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. Emotional and behavioural difficulties including depression, anxiety, and hyperactivity are elevated in autistic children (AC). Family processes of a psychological nature are associated with these difficulties, but the direction of influence is uncertain. We searched seven bibliographic databases for prospective, quantitative studies on the impact of family processes across the parent, dyad, and family system levels on the later well-being of AC without intellectual disability, across a minimum of six months. Eligible studies were extracted following PRISMA guidelines and narratively synthesised. Sixteen of the 17 studies included for review reported significant associations between at least one family process and later well-being. Parenting stress and aspects of the parent–child relationship yielded most robust associations. Weaker support was found for parent mental health problems. Clinical and research implications are discussed. Read in full here