In its second issue of the Research Bulletin for 2026, our Academic Institute shares research activity and findings from our team in St Patrick’s Mental Health Services (SPMHS).
The Academic Institute aims to support and strengthen the research culture in SPMHS, and issues a Research Bulletin each quarter to raise awareness and share results of our varied research activity.
As well as sharing a range of recent research publications, the summer 2026 issue focuses on research around mental health nursing and physical healthcare, and puts a research spotlight on one of our Pharmacy team.
You can see some highlights from the latest Research Bulletin below.
Research publications
Recent research publications shared in the Research Bulletin cover a wide range of topics, including:
- Family history and solar insolation (exposure to sunlight) in bipolar disorder
- The proportion of people with primary affective disorders who present to early intervention services
- Exercise for depression
- Clozapine prescribing in treatment-resistant schizophrenia
- Structured peer engagement for early-stage medical students.
These publications can be accessed here in SPIRE, our research repository.
In recent months, a number of staff from our Pharmacy Department and Nursing Department also delivered research updates and outcomes at the Hospital Pharmacists Association in Ireland Conference in Dublin and the Horatio Conference for European psychiatric nurses in Belgium.
Mental health nursing and physical healthcare
A paper by SPMHS staff on mental health nurses’ knowledge of providing physical healthcare was recently published in the British Journal of Mental Health Nursing. The paper was researched and written by Mary Corrigan and Shane Kirwan of our Nursing Department and Gráinne Donohue of our Academic Institute. You can see more on the key summaries and findings from the paper below.
Background
There is a stark, long-established disparity in healthcare outcomes for people living with serious mental illness (SMI). Patients within psychiatric services frequently present with complex, comorbid physical conditions such as diabetes, obesity and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Compounded by side effects from psychotropic medication (medication which affects mood, behaviour or thoughts), lifestyle factors, and systemic barriers to standard medical screening, this population experiences a drastically reduced life expectancy compared to the general public.
While mental health nurses are strategically positioned on the frontline to recognise and intercept early physical deterioration, many express a profound lack of confidence, skills, and formalised knowledge in delivering physical care. To address this deficit, SPMHS staff conducted a comprehensive training needs analysis within an independent Irish mental health service to map existing knowledge gaps and identify preferred training methodologies.
Methodology and participant profile
Data collection involved an anonymous survey evaluating perceived knowledge deficits across 25 distinct physical healthcare interventions using a standard Likert scale (a survey format which measures attitudes, behaviours and opinions), alongside open-ended qualitative queries.
A final sample of 73 completed responses was analysed. Demographically, the cohort was highly experienced, with 58.9% of participants possessing more than ten years of nursing experience. The sample was predominantly female (79.5%) and primarily ward-based (65.8%), representing a critical frontline perspective of daily inpatient care.
Core findings and critical knowledge gaps
Results revealed distinct areas of dissatisfaction regarding clinical competencies. The most pronounced knowledge deficit involved the delivery of intravenous (IV) fluids, with 64.8% of surveyed nurses expressing a lack of confidence in managing this procedure. This was closely followed by identifying vascular skin changes (58.1%), interpreting diagnostic blood results (45.9%), and executing comprehensive wound care (41.8%).
Conversely, high levels of clinical satisfaction were retained for basic nursing procedures. 87.9% percent of participants reported confidence in maintaining aseptic techniques (methods to stop the spread of infection), 87.7% in delivering oral care, and 83.7% in evaluating abnormal urinalysis (routine urine test) results.
Interestingly, a mismatch was noted between self-reported knowledge deficits and active requests for personal training. When asked what training they personally required, nurses prioritised wound care (25%) and diabetes management (19.6%) over the technically complex IV fluid administration. This variance suggests that staff may prioritise learning interventions they perceive as immediately applicable or frequently encountered within their current psychiatric wards.
Implications for practice
This study underscores that a nursing background alone is insufficient to guarantee ongoing physical healthcare competence within specialised psychiatric environments. Since physical health deficits are prevalent even among senior staff with over a decade of experience, educational pathways cannot simply be targeted toward newly qualified clinicians.
For nurse leaders and healthcare administrators, there is an urgent requirement to design flexible, skills-based, and routine training curriculums focusing heavily on the identified deficit areas: wound assessment, diabetes management, IV therapy, and blood chemistry interpretation. Cultivating these technical competencies directly supports the early recognition of patient deterioration, ensures safer holistic care, and mitigates the profound health inequalities experienced by mental health service users.
Researcher spotlight
Siobhán Nolan is a Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) student in University College Cork (UCC), working with our Pharmacy Department. Here, she shares motivates her research in pharmacy and how her research career is progressing.
Tell us about your research career to date?
I got my first taste of research in the fourth year of my pharmacy degree; my final year project comprised a systematic review titled Clozapine prescribing in treatment-resistant schizophrenia – an updated systematic literature review of barriers and facilitators among clinicians. I was truly delighted to delve into the complexities of schizophrenia treatment, a field that holds significant personal resonance for me. My uncle lived with schizophrenia, and seeing his experience provided me with an intimate insight into the challenges faced by individuals living with schizophrenia and their support networks alike.
I thoroughly enjoyed the process of completing the systematic review. While it was a daunting task, I was very lucky to have two wonderful supervisors, Professor Laura J Sahm and Dr Ita Fitzgerald, by my side. Following submission of my final year project, we decided to try our hand at publishing. I was quickly thrown into the reality of academic publishing: the anticipation of peer review, the sting of rejection, and the meticulous hours of revisions. However, when we finally received the acceptance email, we were overjoyed that our persistence and determination had paid off.
On the back of a highly rewarding fourth-year project, I had the opportunity to work on an equally valuable research dissertation. I analysed the prevalence and trends of long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotic prescribing in the Republic of Ireland (ROI). We received national claims data from the PCRS on all LAI antipsychotic dispensings in the ROI for individuals aged 15 to 69 from 2014 to 2024. Using this data, I was able to analyse trends in prescribing according to the specific LAI antipsychotic, sex, age, and socioeconomic status. We are currently on the road to publishing this piece of work, hopefully in the very near future!
My research journey has been profoundly influenced by my uncle, who very sadly passed away this April at the age of sixty. He was immensely proud of my publication and research into schizophrenia. Following my publication, he shared that he had once been offered clozapine treatment but declined due to the burden of blood monitoring. This decision highlights the importance of research in this area; it is vital to understand and overcome the real-world barriers that prevent patients from engaging with and accessing life-changing treatments.
Any tips for SPMHS staff wishing to engage in research?
My number one tip is to reach out to colleagues in research, whether in person, through email, or LinkedIn. I would also advise being open to new opportunities, even if you feel out of your depth. Everyone begins somewhere, and, more often than not, you will surprise yourself with what you are capable of achieving. Finally, on a practical note, make use of technology. YouTube has been my best friend throughout my education. For those silly and random questions that arise during the research process, there will always be a video there to help you.
