The Academic Institute at St Patrick’s Mental Health Services (SPMHS) has published the first issue of its Research Bulletin for 2026, highlighting ongoing research activity and academic collaboration across the organisation.
This issue showcases recent staff publications spanning mental health nursing, psychopharmacology, digital innovation, psychotherapy, recovery-oriented practice and implementation science. It also highlights new national research collaborations, funding opportunities and training initiatives supporting research development across clinical services.
You can explore some highlights from the latest Research Bulletin below.
National collaboration in mental health research
A key milestone highlighted in this issue is SPMHS’s participation in the newly announced CO-PRIME Research Network.
CO-PRIME is a national, multidisciplinary initiative designed to strengthen the integration of mental health research across the island of Ireland. Led by Professor Sinead McGilloway at Maynooth University, the initiative brings together researchers, people with lived experience, clinicians, policymakers and community organisations in a coordinated research network.
With a consortium of almost 70 partners, CO-PRIME aims to advance mental health research with real-world impact and to strengthen collaboration across sectors to improve mental health outcomes.
Training and funding opportunities
The Research Bulletin highlights upcoming training and funding opportunities for researchers and clinicians interested in developing research capacity.
- UCL Qualitative Health Research Network
Registration is now open for the online workshop “What is ‘Good Quality’ Qualitative Research? A Practical Guide.”
Date: Thursday 26 March 2026
Time: 10am–1pm (UK time)
Location: Online
This workshop examines how the quality of qualitative research is evaluated, with a focus on moving beyond positivist or inappropriate criteria when assessing qualitative studies.
Further information is available through the Qualitative Health Research Network Training Programme here. - Applied Partnership Awards – Women’s Health (APA-WH) 2026
The Applied Partnership Awards – Women’s Health (APA-WH) 2026 call aims to bring researchers and knowledge users together to develop applied research projects addressing identified needs within the Irish health and social care system in the area of women’s health.
Research findings are expected to have a direct impact on decision-making within the partner organisation.
Closing date: 27 March 2026
Further information is available here. - US–Ireland Research and Development Partnership Programme
The US–Ireland Research and Development Partnership Programme supports collaboration between researchers in the United States, the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Closing date: 11 October 2028
Further information is available here.
Psychology collaboration with UCD
The SPMHS Psychology Department has signed an updated partnership agreement with the UCD School of Psychology to increase the number of trainee clinical psychologists supported through UCD’s Doctoral Programme in Clinical Psychology.
Under the agreement, trainees will complete supervised clinical placements within St Patrick’s Mental Health Services, gaining structured practice-based experience in specialist mental healthcare settings.
In addition to clinical training, candidates will contribute to research designed to strengthen evidence-based approaches to the assessment and treatment of mental health difficulties, with the aim of improving service user outcomes and informing best practice across mental health services.
Recent research publications by SPMHS staff
Recent publications by SPMHS researchers include:
- Mental health nurses' knowledge of providing physical health care: analysing educational needs in an Irish independent mental health service.
- Association Between Pulse Width and Clinical Response to Electroconvulsive Therapy.
- Global trends in clozapine utilisation between 2014 and 2024: a longitudinal epidemiological study with data from 75 countries.
- Personal Recovery in Substance Use Disorder: A ‘Best Fit’ Framework Synthesis Systematic Review.
- Use and characterization of personal psychotherapy by psychiatrists: Findings from a questionnaire survey in a sample of consultant and trainee psychiatrists in Ireland.
- Service User Views of Interpersonal Connections in a Videoconferencing Group Therapy Programme for Overcontrol.
- Advancing ketamine in the treatment hierarchy for refractory depression: commentary.
- An exploration of the experience of co-supervision practice education placements from the practice educator perspective
Please visit SPMHS Research Repository SPIRE for further details on all publications.
Recent presentations
SPMHS staff presented research at the Trinity Health and Education Conference, showcasing work across digital innovation, nursing practice and population mental health. Presentations included:
- Van Tonder, D. Donohue, G. Brady, AM: Implementation Science in Action: Evaluating an Adolescent Virtual Mental Health Ward
- Van Tonder, D: Adolescent Virtual Mental Health Ward: Complex Care Made Clear
- Gargan, P: The Standardisation of Mental Health Nursing Reviews Using an Innovative Digital Solution
- Farrington, A, Kirwan, S: A Mental Health Nursing Podcast Series
- Mazhak, I: Determinants of Mental Health among Ukrainian Displaced Women in Ireland: A Socio-Ecological Approach
- Mazhak, I: Understanding (Peri)Menopause in Irish women: Preliminary Findings from the ‘CARAMEL’ (Cardiovascular Risk Assessment in Menopausal Women) Project.
From the archives: Mental health care in 1931
This issue also reflects on a historical article published in 1931 by Dr J.R. Leeper in the Journal of Mental Science, documenting the opening of a new wing and special treatment department at St Patrick’s Hospital.
The article describes the ceremonial opening by the Governor-General of the Irish Free State in August 1930 and situates the development within the hospital’s historic identity as “Swift’s Hospital,” founded in 1745 through the bequest of Jonathan Swift.
Speakers at the ceremony framed the new wing as evidence of advancing therapeutic approaches and a commitment to improving recovery rates. Dr Leeper highlighted the hospital’s eighteenth-century origins while emphasising modernisation in treatment over the previous thirty years.
The language used in the article reflects the institutional frameworks of the time, referring to “mental sufferers” and “the insane.” Concepts central to modern mental health care - including patient autonomy, trauma-informed care, service user involvement and rights-based practice - were absent from the narrative.
Since then, mental health care has undergone profound transformation. Developments including psychopharmacology, community psychiatry, multidisciplinary care and evidence-based psychological therapies have reshaped services.
St Patrick’s itself has evolved from a charitable hospital operating within early twentieth-century institutional psychiatry to a modern mental health service delivering specialist inpatient, outpatient and community programmes.
Viewed from today’s perspective, the article offers a valuable historical record while illustrating how far mental health care has progressed toward person-centred, evidence-informed and rights-based practice.
View the article in full here.
Article of the Issue
Global trends in clozapine utilisation between 2014 and 2024: a longitudinal epidemiological study with data from 75 countries
Fitzgerald, I., Ni Dhubhlaing, O’Dwyer, S, Donohue, G et al. (2026) The Lancet Regional Health – Europe.
Summary
This study looked at how clozapine, a medication used to treat severe schizophrenia has been used globally over a ten-year period (2014–2024). Clozapine is considered the most effective treatment for people whose schizophrenia has not improved with other antipsychotic medications. It can reduce symptoms, lower the risk of hospitalisation, and decrease suicide risk. However, it requires regular blood tests because of rare but serious side effects.
The researchers analysed prescribing data from 75 countries to understand global trends. They examined how often clozapine was used, how usage changed over time, and how patterns differed between regions and income levels.
Overall, the study found that clozapine remains underused worldwide. Although some countries showed modest increases in prescribing over the decade, many countries reported little change, and in some places use declined. There were significant differences between countries: high-income nations were generally more likely to prescribe clozapine than low- and middle-income countries, but even within wealthier countries, usage varied widely.
The study also highlighted regional disparities. In parts of Europe and Australasia, clozapine use was relatively higher and more stable. In contrast, many low- and middle-income countries reported very low prescribing rates. These differences may reflect barriers such as limited laboratory monitoring facilities, lack of clinician training, regulatory restrictions, or stigma associated with severe mental illness.
Importantly, the researchers note that treatment-resistant schizophrenia affects a significant proportion of people with schizophrenia (around one in three). Given this, global clozapine prescribing rates appear far lower than expected based on clinical need.
The authors conclude that despite strong evidence supporting clozapine’s effectiveness, many eligible patients may not be receiving it. They suggest that systemic barriers rather than lack of evidence are likely contributing to its underuse.
You can read more here.
Researcher spotlight: Dr. Iryna Mazhak
Dr. Iryna Mazhak is a Research Fellow in the SPMHS Nursing Department and The Trinity Centre for People with Intellectual Disabilities (TCPID) at Trinity College Dublin.
Can you tell us about your research career to date?
I began my research career many years ago and have developed as an interdisciplinary researcher with a growing specialisation in mental health, migrant health, women’s health, and social inequalities in health. I have led research projects both in Ukraine and internationally, including in Canada, Poland, Czechia, Denmark, the United States, and Ireland. Over the past four years, my work has focused on the health profiles, mental health conditions, coping strategies, and resilience of Ukrainian female and youth refugees, providing nuanced insights into the experiences of vulnerable populations.
From April 2023 to April 2025, I worked as a Research Fellow at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences. My research project, “Health Profiles, Health Care Needs, and Coping Strategies of Ukrainian Female Refugees Settled in the Czech Republic and Ireland,” employed a concurrent mixed-methods design aligned with best practices in health research methodology. The study compared the physical, mental, and social health of Ukrainian female refugees in the Czech Republic and Ireland, while also exploring their coping strategies and healthcare needs.
What are you currently working on?
I am currently working as a Research Fellow at the Trinity Centre for Practice and Healthcare Innovation (TCPHI), School of Nursing & Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin, in collaboration with St Patrick’s Mental Health Services (SPMHS). In this role, I contribute to advancing evidence-based mental health nursing practices. My overarching aim is to build sustainable clinician–academic partnerships, enhance research quality, embed a strong research culture within nursing practice, support innovative nurse-led initiatives, and strengthen the institutional research profile. As this is a part-time role, I also continue my work as a Research Fellow on the Cardiovascular Risk Assessment in Menopausal Women project at the Nursing & Midwifery. I lead the collection and analysis of survey and semi-structured interview data across seven countries.
What do you see as a priority for mental health research over the next five years?
Over the next five years, mental health research should prioritise scalable, prevention-focused, and equitable systems of care. Advancing digital and hybrid service delivery models will be crucial in closing the treatment gap, particularly in primary care and community settings, by expanding access through blended face-to-face and remote supports. Youth mental health and early intervention remain urgent priorities, given rising rates of anxiety, depression, and self-harm. Research is needed to better understand the impact of social media, as well as to develop effective school- and family-based prevention strategies that support long-term wellbeing. The mental health consequences of global crises—including conflict, displacement, climate change, and economic instability—require trauma-informed and culturally responsive models of care that strengthen community resilience and inform humanitarian recovery efforts. Addressing inequalities and the social determinants of mental health is also fundamental. Poverty, gender inequities, and structural marginalisation continue to shape mental health risk and access to care. Finally, stronger integration of mental and physical healthcare is needed, particularly for individuals living with chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. Collaborative care models can improve whole-person outcomes and enhance service efficiency. Together, these priorities centre on access, early prevention, equity, and integrated care.
Any tips for SPMHS staff wishing to engage in research projects?
For SPMHS staff interested in engaging in research, my main advice is to start from practice. The most impactful research questions often arise from everyday clinical challenges, gaps in care pathways, unmet patient needs, or service delivery pressures. Identifying issues you are genuinely passionate about will help sustain motivation and ensure the research remains clinically meaningful. Building partnerships is equally important. Engaging early with academic collaborators and research fellows can strengthen study design, ethics applications, and funding proposals. Clinician–academic collaboration ensures that research is both methodologically robust and grounded in real-world practice. It is also advisable to start small and build incrementally. Quality improvement projects, service evaluations, or pilot studies are excellent entry points. These projects help develop research skills, generate preliminary data, and can evolve into larger funded programmes.
In summary: let practice guide your research questions, collaborate widely, begin with manageable projects, and keep patient benefit at the centre of the research process.
Where can we find your work?
You can find my research outputs on my academic research platforms.
