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Books by Wendy Cousins

"This interdisciplinary book is aimed at increasing professional and public awareness of the impo... more "This interdisciplinary book is aimed at increasing professional and public awareness of the importance of health promotion activities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Written by an international board of experts in the area it is a thorough guide for students, professionals and carers.

The volume covers a broad range of health promotion activities including:

•Family interventions
•Health promotion in schools
•Community health programmes
•Exercise and sport
•Health checks

Each chapter considers the physiological, psychological, environmental and cultural factors at play, and offers a `how to' guide for a wide range of healthcare professionals working in the field of intellectual disability. Taking a lifespan approach the book considers a variety of challenges faced by those with intellectual disabilities, including physical illnesses such as diabetes, epilepsy, cardiovascular disease, cancer and sexual health issues, through to aspects of addictions, mental health and ageing.

A highly topical book, this broad and far reaching text makes a valuable contribution to those trying to improve the health and lives of people living with an intellectual disability.

Contributors: Jim Blair, Penny Blake, Malin Broberg, Michael Brown, Eddie Chaplin, Bob Davies, Gillian Eastgate, Paul Fleming, Dora Fisher, Linda Goddard, TamarHeller, John Heng, Thanos Karatzias, Mike Kerr, Nick Lennox, Tadhg MacIntyre, Beth Marks, Jane McCarthy,Judith Moyle,Karen Nankervis,Ruth Northway, Joseph O'Grady, Renee Proulx, Janet Robertson, Cathy Ross, Jasmina Sisirak, Eamonn Slevin, David S Stewart, William F. Sullivan, Beverley Temple, Hana Valkova, Henny van Schrojenstein Lantman-de Valk."

What services and support do people with Intellectual disabilities who display behaviours that ch... more What services and support do people with Intellectual disabilities who display behaviours that challenge and their caregivers require to meet their needs? What services and support do older people with learning disabilities and their caregivers require to meet their needs? This rapid review of evidence from the literature over the past decade was undertaken as part of the Bamford Review (2007) recommendations and commissioned by the Health & Social Care Research and Development Division of the Public Health Agency.

The document can be disseminated freely and shared with patients, clients and carers.

This publication reports initial findings from a Northern Irish study which examined the extent o... more This publication reports initial findings from a Northern Irish study which examined the extent of stability in the care careers of 388 younger looked after children (under 5 years old) and the factors which may influence this. Chapter one provides an overview of the policy background to this piece of research both in the UK generally and Northern Ireland in particular. Chapter two outlines the theoretical perspectives on which the study draws including primarily the concept of care careers, the life course analysis approach and social ecology theory. This section outlines the literature on these topics before moving on to discuss concepts of attachment, stability and care-planning. Chapter three describes the research methodology and following chapters in the report present findings from data collected from the Social Services administrative system (SOSCARE) and the children’s case files in 2000 and again two years later in 2002. Chapter four presents data on the care careers of the children in the study. This chapter begins by examining key dimensions of the children’s care careers such as the length of time in and the types of placements in which the children are living. It then examines movements out of the care system and finally attempts to operationalise placement instability and placement permanency. In particular, it focuses attention on the children’s placement histories over the two year ‘window’ between the census periods. Chapter five discusses findings on the child and family background. Chapter six discusses the social work processes concerning the children’s care careers.

http://openlibrary.org/books/OL18926138M/The_care_careers_of_younger_looked_after_children

Papers by Wendy Cousins

A knowledge and understanding of what domestic violence actually is, and the effect it has on tho... more A knowledge and understanding of what domestic violence actually is, and the effect it has on those involved, is crucial for practitioners in order to work effectively with children and domestic violence. This Reader was originally commissioned in 1998 by the Department of Health and produced by a consortium consisting of the NSPCC, Barnardo's and the Domestic Violence Research Group at the University of Bristol. This second edition, newly published in 2007, provides an updated review of the research and legislation on domestic violence and the consequences for children. In their introduction the authors hope that the book will enable professionals working with families to develop informed and appropriately sophisticated responses that safeguard and promote the welfare of children living in circumstances of domestic violence.An impressive amount of information is presented, yet the layout of the book is extremely clear and easy to read. The 12 chapters are neatly organised arou...

Journal of Children and …, 2008

As Northern Ireland recovers from 30 years of violence, political focus has moved to address soci... more As Northern Ireland recovers from 30 years of violence, political focus has moved to address social issues in the post-conflict environment. In particular, suicide rates in Northern Ireland have steadily increased over the last three decades leading to the recognition of suicide as a major public health issue in the region. Statistics relating to hospital admissions for self-harm in Northern Ireland indicate that the number of such admissions has increased by 9% since 2000. In 2006 the Northern Ireland Suicide Prevention Strategy was launched with the strategic aim ‘to reduce the Northern Ireland suicide rate, particularly among young people and those most at risk.’ However no specific mention is made of young people who live in state care. This paper uses social worker accounts to highlight the emotional and behavioural vulnerabilities as measured by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) in a group of adolescents (n=165) who are ‘looked after’ away from home. It was fo...

View: An independent social affairs magazine., 2018

It’s often said that in this world nothing is certain except death and taxes, yet while taxation ... more It’s often said that in this world nothing is certain except death and taxes, yet while taxation is a familiar topic for public debate there is still a reluctance to talk about death. A recent survey of almost 1,000 UK adults carried out by the Academy of Medical Science found that almost a third of people polled refused to answer any questions about the end of life. The survey also found that the biggest worry for members of the public about being with someone as they died is that their loved one would be in would be in pain, with 62% of people identifying this as their deepest concern, more than half of people were most concerned the person dying may be frightened, and 40% were worried that the person dying might be distressed.

Palliative care can address these issues. The word ''Palliative” originates from the Latin “pallium, to cover or cloak. When patients receive palliative care, they are cloaked with care and comfort as they receive effective pain control and symptom management. All their issues, whether physical, psychological, social or spiritual are to be “cloaked”. Palliative care can improve the quality of life for those at any age and at any stage of serious illness, not just at end of life. Yet evidence suggests that patients are often not informed about this type of care. Even those professionally qualified to care for the dying share the public’s reticence to discuss end of life issues.

Aim: The health-related behaviours of people with intellectual disabilities (ID) are strongly inﬂ... more Aim: The health-related behaviours of people with intellectual disabilities (ID) are strongly inﬂuenced by cultural and social factors such as organisational context yet this has rarely been investigated. This study explores the organisational barriers and solutions to the promotion of healthy lifestyle behaviours for this population. Method:Qualitative methodology was used. Focus groups and interviews were undertaken with staff and managers of residential services. Staff job descriptions were also collected from these services. Thematic content analysis was employed. Results: Three overarching themes were identiﬁed. The ﬁrst two themes relate to organisational barriers to promoting health for individuals with ID. These themes focussed on highlighting how administration and routine tasks were prioritised over the promotion of regular physical activity and a healthy diet. The third theme relates to enablers or strategies for implementing health promotion activities. Conclusions: These ﬁndings have international implications on how organisations support people with ID to be more aligned with promoting health.They also highlight the need for organisational culture to facilitate knowledge translation and embrace evidence-based health promotion interventions.

Including the inner perspectives of people who have intellectual disability can pose methodologic... more Including the inner perspectives of people who have intellectual disability can pose methodological challenges to qualitative researchers. This article explains how the Listening Guide was applied as an additional step in the analysis during a study which used hermeneutic interviews with people with intellectual disability as the sole method of data collection. An argument is made for the systematic application of the guide with a focus on the use of I-Poems. This article advances qualitative methodological approaches and concludes that this method of drawing attention to the participants’ own voices provides a unique basis for interpreting interviews and tasks researchers to examine the use of the Listening Guide.

Journal of Perspectives in Applied Academic Practice, 2016

It has been argued that there is a prima facie case as to why extra-curricular activities should ... more It has been argued that there is a prima facie case as to why extra-curricular activities should be thought to contribute to graduate outcomes, yet few studies have examined student activities beyond the classroom and their role in student experience and graduate outcomes. This study collected data via a questionnaire survey (n=852) and a series of focus groups with students (n=95) to examine undergraduate perceptions of the role that extra-curricular activities play in developing employability skills. It was found that extracurricular activities were significantly correlated with other employability related aspects of student experience and viewed favourably by students in terms of CV building and enhancing employability. Yet students also reported that it was often difficult to participate in activities outside of their academic work and paid employment. It is concluded that the value of extra-curricular activities is widely recognised and universities should support students who wish to engage in them. Furthermore, future programmes aimed at harnessing the capacity of extra-curricular activities to develop student employability need to give due consideration to strategies for enhancing inclusion and diverse participation.

This paper presents the findings from a systematic review which investigated the use of phenomeno... more This paper presents the findings from a systematic review which investigated the use of phenomenological research interviews in studies involving people with intellectual disability. A search of four electronic databases and the subsequent application of inclusion criteria resulted in 28 relevant publications. Selected articles were reviewed and key data extracted using CASP guidelines, with findings presented by examining the influencing philosophy or theory, the method of recruitment and data collection, the relationship between researcher and participants, the rigour of data analysis and finally a statement of findings. The results show people with mild and moderate intellectual disability, included as participants in phenomenological research investigating a range of issues that are important in their lives. A critical discussion focuses on the main characteristics of phenomenology and points to implications for further research. Creating awareness of research among people with intellectual disability is important, and finding the best way to ensure findings are disseminated in accessible formats is recommended. Researchers are also challenged to consider Heideggerian hermeneutic phenomenology as a method with the potential to fully explore the experiences of people with intellectual disability.

Child Care in Practice, Jan 1, 2007

Young people with learning disabilities are significantly more at risk of developing mental healt... more Young people with learning disabilities are significantly more at risk of developing mental health difficulties than their non-disabled peers, with prevalence rates of around 40% commonly reported. Nevertheless, high levels of mental health problems also exist among young people living in state care. However, few studies have examined the mental health of these young people with learning disabilities who also live away from home in state care. This paper examines the emotional, behavioural and mental health status of a group of young people with and without learning disabilities residing in state care. Data were collected from social worker reports and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire on these two cohorts who were living in state care for a minimum of one year. The young people with learning disabilities had a higher prevalence of emotional and behavioural problems and were also significantly more likely to score within the abnormal range of the Total Difficulties Score of the SDQ (77.1%) compared with their non-disabled peers (49.6%). There is a need for greater recognition of young peoplewith learning disabilities who live in state care in order to identify emotional, behavioural and mental health needs and to develop more appropriate and effective care plans/therapeutic interventions.

Psychology, Health & Medicine, Jan 1, 2010

Irish Journal of Applied Social Studies, Jan 1, 2006

Journal of Children and …, Jan 1, 2008

Child Care in Practice, Jan 1, 2007

Social Work Education, Jan 1, 2007

Irish Journal of Psychology, Jan 1, 2006

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, 2015

Mental health literacy among the general public is poor; many people lack the skills to provide e... more Mental health literacy among the general public is poor; many people lack the skills to provide early intervention and suicide prevention strategies. ‘Mental Health First Aid’ (MHFA) is a 12-hour mental health promotion programme offering a tool kit and action plan supporting participants to engage with those experiencing a mental health difficulty. Exploring the MHFA model, this study aims to capture the views of experienced MHFA instructors, sharing their journey of programme delivery in Northern Ireland. A focus group of six instructors participated in a semi-structured recorded meeting, transcripts of which were analysed and key themes identified using a pragmatic approach to schematic content analysis. This study identifies and explores four themes: future roll out, instructor skills, challenges, networks and motivation. Results indicate that complex strategies are employed in delivering MHFA training, while the conclusion calls for the development of a mental health public awareness campaign and continuation of the MHFA programme.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative condition often resulting in signific... more Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative condition often resulting in significant disability and impacting on one's ability to participate in an occupation. The present study aimed to explore how people with advanced Parkinson's disease experience the phenomenon of occupation in their daily lives in order to inform the practice of occupational therapy in palliative care. Using a phenomenological approach, in-depth interviews were undertaken with a purposive sample of 10 people in the advanced stages of Parkinson's disease. These interviews were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, and subsequently analyzed using a thematic content analysis approach. The study received approval from the relevant university ethics committee, as well as the research network of Parkinson's UK.
Results: The experience of occupation emerged as being physical, psychological, social, and spiritual with related subthemes. Within each of these themes, participants described their experience of occupation that they valued and that were important to their daily lives. They also identified the strategies they employed to continue participating in certain occupations and described others they were no longer able to engage in and the impact of that loss. Participants' experiences crossed the domains of palliative care and suggest that adopting a palliative care approach would enhance an enhanced quality of life, experienced in terms of meaningful and valuable occupation. Disruption to participation in occupation caused them distress and frustration, suggesting that access to occupation-focused therapy would significantly improve quality of life for people with PD. As there is a strong link between the ethos of occupational therapy and palliative care, it is proposed that there is a valuable role for occupational therapy intervention to play within palliative care.

The volume covers a broad range of health promotion activities including:

•Family interventions
•Health promotion in schools
•Community health programmes
•Exercise and sport
•Health checks

A highly topical book, this broad and far reaching text makes a valuable contribution to those trying to improve the health and lives of people living with an intellectual disability.

The document can be disseminated freely and shared with patients, clients and carers.

http://openlibrary.org/books/OL18926138M/The_care_careers_of_younger_looked_after_children

Journal of Children and …, 2008

View: An independent social affairs magazine., 2018

Journal of Perspectives in Applied Academic Practice, 2016

Child Care in Practice, Jan 1, 2007

Psychology, Health & Medicine, Jan 1, 2010

Irish Journal of Applied Social Studies, Jan 1, 2006

Journal of Children and …, Jan 1, 2008

Child Care in Practice, Jan 1, 2007

Social Work Education, Jan 1, 2007

Irish Journal of Psychology, Jan 1, 2006

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, 2015

Education has been identified as a human right (Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human ... more Education has been identified as a human right (Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, United Nations, 1948). This right is extended to all groups in society including those with intellectual disability. In 2005, UNESCO produced guidelines for inclusion which summarised much of the work done in this area. These guidelines highlight the importance of inclusion and the effects of exclusion. The purpose of this chapter is to present a review of the literature available within the last ten years regarding the inclusion of people with disability in post-secondary and higher education. While evidence is emerging that people with intellectual disability are included in post-secondary and higher level institutions, this inclusion may not always be visible. Often inclusion is achieved by delivering specialised courses or modules or by providing opportunities to be included with but not necessarily achieve the same credits as their non-disabled peers. The review is presented using the themes of education and policy; inclusion in post-secondary and higher education; the case for inclusion; barriers to inclusion; the implications for post-secondary and higher education; and experiences of inclusion. In concluding the review possible directions for future research are also outlined

Learning Disability Practice, Mar 2013

This article describes a project in which people with intellectual disabilities and their familie... more This article describes a project in which people with intellectual disabilities and their families, and care staff, were taught how to collaborate in the improvement of services. After forming teams, and with the support of academic supervisors and service-based mentors, they undertook a university module based on co-operative learning about services. The process was found to be effective in translating legislation and policy into practice, and was appreciated by those who took part.

There is consistent evidence that the rate of emotional, social and behavioural problems found in... more There is consistent evidence that the rate of emotional, social and behavioural problems found in children and adolescents in out-of-home placements or state care is substantially higher than that of children and adolescents living with their families. However, with a few small-scale studies as exceptions, to date there has been little research carried out into the mental health needs of adolescents living in state care in Northern Ireland. This study aimed to examine the mental health needs of young people aged between 10 and 15 years living in state care in Northern Ireland. Data were collected on 165 adolescents via an analysis of case file data, questionnaires and interviews with social workers. It was found that the 70.3% of the young people scored within the abnormal and borderline ranges of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) total difficulties score indicating “high risk” for meeting the criteria for a psychiatric diagnosis. Over the course of 1 year living in state care, 10 of the 165 adolescents had attempted suicide and 14 had engaged in deliberate self-harm. Nevertheless, social workers still rated the vast majority (92%) of these young people's overall health as being “as good as”, or “better than” other young people in their age. It is concluded that as this group of young people have significant contact with health and social services, potential opportunities exist to develop the therapeutic potential of the experience of being “looked after” in state care. They are a uniquely vulnerable group and their care and treatment may be considered as a minority rights issue which deserves a higher profile in the human rights agenda.

Convenor: Wendy Cousins. Presentations by Iain McGowan, Siobhan O'Brien, Wendy Cousins and Lauren... more Convenor: Wendy Cousins. Presentations by Iain McGowan, Siobhan O'Brien, Wendy Cousins and Laurence Taggart.

Addictive behaviour as has been defined as "..a repetitive habit pattern that increases the risk of disease and/or associated personal and social problems (Marlatt, Baer, Donovan & Kivlahan,1988) . This symposium will explore the experiences of individuals with drugs, alcohol and smoking addictions living in Northern Ireland. It will explore how these behaviours have been shaped by social circumstances and how society has responded to these problems in terms of service delivery. The first paper reports a mixed-methods study investigating professionals, heroin users and their families’ perceptions of the care provided by addiction services. The second paper presents a quantitative study of the impact of demographic and socioeconomic factors on smoking and smoking cessation. In the third paper the effects of parental alcohol abuse on the lives of young people living in care are explored and the final paper investigates the affects of drugs on alcohol on the health of people with intellectual disabilities.

People with learning disabilities suffer from significantly more health problems than the general... more People with learning disabilities suffer from significantly more health problems than the general population and are much more likely than other citizens to have significant health risks and major health problems. Nevertheless, there is considerable evidence that people with learning disabilities are not receiving the same level of healthcare as other members of society. Some medical checks are given less often to people with learning disabilities than the general population, people with learning disabilities experience 'diagnostic overshadowing' in that incidents of physical ill health may be viewed as 'part of the learning disability' and therefore not fully investigated or treated, and there is a lack of uptake of health promotion. A report published by the Disability Rights Commission in 2004 suggested that in the UK 'four times as many people with learning disabilities die of preventable causes as people in the general population'. There is a strong need to challenge this inequality as an important human rights issue. Improved health is likely to improve quality of life, for both individuals with learning disabilities and their families. Yet part of the reason why the health outcomes of this group are poor, is due to the fact that people with learning disabilities are reliant on both informal and formal carers to promote healthy lifestyles and to make healthy choices on their behalf. However professionals and family carers may not be fully cognisant of the particular needs of this population or fully aware of the importance of health promotion activity. This symposium presents a series of empirically-based papers which highlight the health needs of people with learning disabilities and argues for an increased professional awareness of the importance of health promotion activities.

http://www.healthcanal.com/public-health-safety/10816-Need-for-Improved-Health-Promotion-for-People-with-Learning-Disabilities.htm

In an unsettled economic and political climate, the issue of graduate employability has gained in... more In an unsettled economic and political climate, the issue of graduate employability has gained increased currency. It has been argued that there is a prima facie case as to why extra-curricular activities should contribute to graduate outcomes, yet few studies have examined the role of student activities beyond the classroom and their role in developing employability skills. In order to explore undergraduate perceptions of the role that extra-curricular activities play in developing employability, this mixed-methods study collected data via a questionnaire survey (N=852) and a series of 17 focus groups with a cross-disciplinary purposive sample of students (N=95) The questionnaire survey found that extracurricular activities were significantly correlated (p<0.01) with student ratings of other employability-related aspects of their university experience: curriculum; learning from work; personal development planning; enterprise, innovation and creativity; transferring learning between contexts; real world activities engagement; career development learning and graduate employment. Themes emerging from focus group discussions highlighted that extra-curricular activities were valued by students in terms of CV building and enhancing employability and were seen as something which students did under their own initiative. Yet students also reported that time and financial pressures meant it was often difficult to participate in activities outside of their academic work and paid employment, especially if support for was not provided by academic departments. It is concluded that to encourage the development of students’ full potentials across their entire higher education experience, universities should recognise the value of extra-curricular activities and support students who wish to engage in them.

PsycCRITIQUES, Feb 20, 2013

Reviews the book, Midlife Transformation in Literature and Film: Jungian and Eriksonian Perspecti... more Reviews the book, Midlife Transformation in Literature and Film: Jungian and Eriksonian Perspectives by Steven F. Walker.

Reviews the book, When the past is always present: Emotional traumatization, causes, and cures by... more Reviews the book, When the past is always present: Emotional traumatization, causes, and cures by R. A. Ruden

Substantial empirical evidence confirms that regular participation in physical activity contribut... more Substantial empirical evidence confirms that regular participation in physical activity contributes to health in individuals of all ages, gender, and ability. Yet numerous studies have found that people with disabilities are less likely to engage in physical activity, are more sedentary, and tend to be less fit than their peers (Temple et al. 2006). This chapter provides an overview of the evidence that sets out the value of exercise and sport participation by people with an intellectual disability and, where available, the cascading benefits for families and workers. Strategies to promote involvement in exercise and sport are addressed, with a focus on evidence-based strategies that can be incorporated into practice and undertaken in environments that promote community inclusion and experiences. Recommendations for promoting exercise and sport participation for people with intellectual disabilities are also provided.

Nankervis, Karen, Cousins, Wendy, Válková, Hana and MacIntyre, Tadhg (2013) Physical activity, exercise, and sport. In: Health Promotion for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. McGraw Hil/Open University Press, pp. 174-182. ISBN 9780335246946 [Book section] Full. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/240310623_Nankervis_Karen_Cousins_Wendy_Vlkov_Hana_and_MacIntyre_Tadhg_%282013%29_Physical_activity_exercise_and_sport._In_Health_Promotion_for_People_with_Intellectual_and_Developmental_Disabilities._McGraw_HilOpen_University_Press_pp._174-182._ISBN_9780335246946_Book_section_Full [accessed Apr 21, 2015].

Health promotion has developed significantly since its inception with the Lalonde Report (Lalonde... more Health promotion has developed significantly since its inception with the Lalonde Report (Lalonde 1974) and its formal promulgation by the World Health Organization through the Ottawa Charter in 1986 (WHO 1986). However, there is often a gap between policy intention and its implementation: ‘Governments mediate, through their architecture of machinery and policy, access to rights and, by extension, to services’ (Lawson et al. 2008: 3). There is a need for people with intellectual disabilities and their carers to break through this architecture to obtain the services they require. One possible bridging mechanism is the evidence and insights provided by programme evaluation. Elsewhere in this book, health promotion strategies for key health topic areas have been explored and ethical issues considered. It should be noted, however, that no matter how well developed the theoretical and practice-based elements of health promotion programmes are, we inevitably come to the key question: ‘How do we know that health promotion interventions improve the health status of people with intellectual disabilities at all levels from individual to population?’ This chapter seeks to define the concept of evaluation and identify its integral role within health promotion practice. It explores the key elements of evaluation planning and implementation in health promotion programmes, particularly as they affect people with intellectual disabilities. We also recognize that the engagement with health promotion by people with intellectual disabilities and their caregivers will have collateral effects on their significant others, those who commission and deliver health promotion programmes, and the wider community. Those who advocate for the rights of people with intellectual disabilities, as they monitor the effects of health promotion interventions on this population, will also have an interest in the nature and outcomes of evaluation

Fleming, Paul and Cousins, Wendy (2014) Evaluating health promotion programmes. In: Health Promotion for People with Intellectual Disabilities.