Research News
Vasilis Vasiliou is the winner of the 2nd Brain, Mind and Pain Grant (BMP Grant)
The Jury of the 2019-2020 BMP Grant had the task of judging the projects submitted. This task was made difficult by the overall high quality of the proposals, which all focused on the interests of patients. Three projects promised the most benefits for individual patients and were, in the view of our experienced jury members, the most patient-driven, patient-centered and scientifically robust projects. Vasilis S. Vasiliou, a post-doctoral researcher at the School of Applied Psychology, UCC won one of the three grants, awarded in collaboration with Chronic Pain Ireland (CPI).
The ASpida project- an Against Stigma pain intervention development approach, is an innovative, patient-led intervention approach that attempts to stop stigma for individuals with Chronic Pain by incorporating key stakeholders and bringing individuals with Chronic pain experiences’ at every stage from co-designing to implementing the program. The program will be a one-time, ½ (one half) day, face-to-face, group-based intervention, run by trained individuals with chronic pain. It will make use of a unified model of behaviour change, coined psychological flexibility, focusing on enhancing individuals’ strengths and capacities.
Public and patient involvement panel (PPI) will be formed. Individuals with chronic pain will participate as co‐researchers and contribute to the content and usability development of the program. They will propose solutions (cognitive, kinetic, emotional) which will transform a theory-based concept into an operationalizing self-care program, taking the end-users’ and stakeholders’ needs into consideration. They will co-facilitate focus groups to better understand what needs to be delivered and how the program can be successfully integrated into the CPI’s services. Then, they will co-develop the content of the ASpida program, facilitate the program to their local communities, and train others to deliver it, ensuring its sustainability.
For more on this story contact:
v.vasiliou@ucc.ie