karyn Morrissey | University of Galway (original) (raw)

Papers by karyn Morrissey

Social Science & Medicine, 2016

In June 2011 the BBC Lab UK carried out a web-based survey on the causes of mental distress. The ... more In June 2011 the BBC Lab UK carried out a web-based survey on the causes of mental distress. The &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;Stress Test&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; was launched on &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;All in the Mind&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; a BBC Radio 4 programme and the test&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s URL was publicised on radio and TV broadcasts, and made available via BBC web pages and social media. Given the large amount of data created, over 32,800 participants, with corresponding diagnosis, demographic and socioeconomic characteristics; the dataset are potentially an important source of data for population based research on depression and anxiety. However, as respondents self-selected to participate in the online survey, the survey may comprise a non-random sample. It may be only individuals that listen to BBC Radio 4 and/or use their website that participated in the survey. In this instance using the Stress Test data for wider population based research may create sample selection bias. Focusing on the depression component of the Stress Test, this paper presents an easy-to-use method, the Two Step Probit Selection Model, to detect and statistically correct selection bias in the Stress Test. Using a Two Step Probit Selection Model; this paper did not find a statistically significant selection on unobserved factors for participants of the Stress Test. That is, survey participants who accessed and completed an online survey are not systematically different from non-participants on the variables of substantive interest.

This paper reviews a statistical matching technique used to match the Irish Census of Agriculture... more This paper reviews a statistical matching technique used to match the Irish Census of Agriculture to the Irish National Farm Survey (NFS) to produce a farm level spatial microsimulation model for Ireland. Using statistical matching techniques, economists can now create attribute rich datasets by matching across the common variables in two or more datasets. Static spatial microsimulation then uses theses synthetic datasets to analyse the relationships among regions and localities and to project the spatial implications of economic development and policy changes. The farm level spatial microsimulation model developed in this paper uses one of many combinational optimatisation techniques -simulated annealing -to match the Census and the NFS. We then use this matched NFS and Census information to produce small area farm population microdata estimates for the year 2002. Using the newly constructed farm level spatial microsimulation model and the associated spatially disaggregated farm population microdata set this paper then briefly analyses the spatial distribution of family farm income in Ireland.

The main aim of this paper is to provide a spatial modelling framework for labour force participa... more The main aim of this paper is to provide a spatial modelling framework for labour force participation and income estimation. The development of a household income distribution for Ireland had previously been hampered by the lack of disaggregated data on individual earnings. Spatial microsimulation through a process of calibration provides a method which allows one to recreate the spatial distribution LFP and household market income at the small area level. Further analysis examines the relationship between LFP, occupational type and market income at the small area level in Co. Galway Ireland.

Comorbidity has been found to be significantly related to increased levels of mortality, decrease... more Comorbidity has been found to be significantly related to increased levels of mortality, decreased functional status and quality of life, increasing dependence on health services and an increased risk of mental and social problems. Previous research into comorbidity has mainly focused on identifying the most common groupings of illnesses found among elderly healthcare users. In contrast, this paper pools data from the Health Survey for England from 2008 to 2012 to form a representative sample of individuals in private households in England to explore the risk of comorbidity among the general population; and to take account of not only the demographic but also the socioeconomic and area-level determinants of comorbidity. Using a multinomial logistic model, this research confirms that age and gender are significant predictors of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity, whether examined singly or in any comorbidity combination. Across the seven possible disease combinations, the odds ratios are lowest for those individuals with a high income (6 of 7), home-owning (5 of 7), degree educated (7 of 7) and living in the least deprived area (6 of 7), when controlling for demographic and smoking characteristics. The important influence of socioeconomic factors associated with comorbidity risk indicates that healthcare policy needs to move from a focus on age profiles to take better account of individual and local area socioeconomic circumstances.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) predicts that world-wide, depression will be the second large... more The World Health Organisation (WHO) predicts that world-wide, depression will be the second largest source of burden of disease by 2020. It is currently estimated that approximately 300,000 Irish people experience depression. To date no research has been carried out on the small area incidence of depression in Ireland. Although research has looked at access levels to acute psychiatric hospitals for each electoral division (ED) in Ireland, there is currently no research on the accessibility of mental health services to individuals with depression. This paper aims to address this gap in the literature. First, a simple logistic regression model is used to identify the determinants of depression at the national level. Secondly, the spatial distribution of individuals with depression is estimated at the small area, ED level using a spatial microsimulation model. Finally, a spatial interaction model is used to analyse access to acute inpatient facilities at the national level and community-based facilities for individuals with depression at the sub-national level. The policy implications of these results are discussed in relation to both the health care literature and current Irish health care policy.

AIMS Public Health, 2015

Ecological influences on health outcomes are associated with the spatial stratification of health... more Ecological influences on health outcomes are associated with the spatial stratification of health. However, the majority of studies that seek to understand these ecological influences utilise aspatial methods. Geographically weighted regression (GWR) is a spatial statistics tool that expands standard regression by allowing for spatial variance in parameters. This study contributes to the urban health literature, by employing GWR to uncover geographic variation in Limiting Long Term Illness (LLTI) and area level effects at the small area level in a relatively small, urban environment. Using GWR it was found that each of the three contextual covariates, area level deprivation scores, the percentage of the population aged 75 years plus and the percentage of residences of white ethnicity for each LSOA exhibited a non-stationary relationship with LLTI across space. Multicollinearity among the predictor variables was found not to be a problem. Within an international policy context, this research indicates that even at the city level, a "one-size fits all" policy strategy is not the most appropriate approach to address health outcomes. City "wide" health polices need to be spatially adaptive, based on the contextual characteristics of each area.

European Planning Studies, 2016

Studies in evolutionary economic geography have found that knowledge spillovers, crucial for the ... more Studies in evolutionary economic geography have found that knowledge spillovers, crucial for the development and maintenance of clusters, tend to flow between sectors that are related via similar inputs and/or outputs. Thus, there is a growing body of literature stating that industrial variety within clusters is beneficial for economic growth, whereby local industrial diversity sparks creativity, new ideas and innovations. Within this context, the Irish Maritime and Energy Resource Cluster (IMERC) is a diverse, multisectoral cluster. Using an Input–Output table this paper examines the intra-cluster linkages, as well as the relatedness in terms of inputs and outputs across the four IMERC pillars: Marine Energy; Shipping, Logistics and Transport; Maritime Safety and Security; and Yachting Products and Services. This analysis found that although IMERC has weak intra-cluster linkages, the four pillars share a high number of related inputs and outputs. Based on this analysis, IMERC has the potential to develop into a strong maritime cluster.

The Professional Geographer, 2015

This paper analyses the effect accessibility has on General Practitioner (GP) utilisation rates a... more This paper analyses the effect accessibility has on General Practitioner (GP) utilisation rates at the sub-national level for Ireland. Specifically, the aim of this paper is to estimate whether there is an urban/rural differential in GP utilisation rates. We do this by simulating micro-level health care data. Using this synthetic data, simple logit models are employed to estimate the likelihood that individuals in different jurisdictions will attend a GP surgery. These individual logit estimates are then inputted into a spatial interaction model to highlight areas with low GP accessibility given their health status. The policy implications of these results are discussed in relation to both the health care literature and current Irish health care policy.

3 rd Annual Beaufort Marine Socio-Economic Workshop

Annex 1 Beaufort Marine Socio-Economic Workshop Agenda The 3 rd Annual Beaufort Marine Socio-Econ... more Annex 1 Beaufort Marine Socio-Economic Workshop Agenda The 3 rd Annual Beaufort Marine Socio-Economic Workshop Friday 11th November 2011 Venue: MY129, Aras Moyola, National University of Ireland, Galway 8.45-9.25 Registration and Tea/Coffee Welcome and Overview of Days Proceedings–Professor John McHale Session 1. Ocean Economy Analysis: National and Sectoral Perspectives Chairperson: Geoffrey O'Sullivan, Marine Institute 9.30-9.55 Some Observations about the US Ocean and Coastal Economies from the National Ocean ...

As with ill health in general, the conventional wisdom is that mental illnesses are more prevalen... more As with ill health in general, the conventional wisdom is that mental illnesses are more prevalent in urban settings. This assumption has meant that there has been a paucity of literature documenting the mental health needs of rural and remote communities. For example, the present literature on psychiatric inpatient admissions in Ireland is essentially a descriptive overview of psychiatric services at both the national and county level -their activity; an outline of the current services or planned changes to the structure and provision of and access to mental health services. Such comparative analysis informs future planning decisions for both the development and delivery of mental health decisions. However, to date no research has been carried out on the spatial incidence of mental illness at the small area level in Ireland. Using data from the National Psychiatric In-patient Reporting System (NPIRS), this paper aims to address this gap in the literature, by providing a rural/urban comparison of admissions to psychiatric units and hospitals in Ireland. Results from this analysis found that in Ireland, rural residents had a higher probability of being admitted to a psychiatric hospital for schizophrenia, depression and alcoholism, given there demographic and socio-economic characteristics compared to urban residents.

2 nd Annual Beaufort Marine Socio-Economic Workshop

Ireland's ocean resource consists of 900,000 km2 of seabed and 1448km of coastline (Cooper, ... more Ireland's ocean resource consists of 900,000 km2 of seabed and 1448km of coastline (Cooper, 2009). Economically, Ireland depends heavily upon its maritime transportation sector with 95% of the value and 99% of its trade transported by sea (Shields et al., 2005). To date, however, little emphasis has been placed on the development of the marine sector in Ireland. However, the realisation that the world's oceans play an important role in climate regulation and many territory activities, notably food production, coupled with economic ...

Papers in Regional Science, 2014

ABSTRACT Regional issues in Ireland, although a relatively small and geographically homogenous co... more ABSTRACT Regional issues in Ireland, although a relatively small and geographically homogenous country, attract considerable attention, much of which centres on the size of Dublin and the South East and its perceived dominant share of the national economy. Using location quotients (LQs) analysis and linking the production multipliers to their two digit NACE codes, this paper presents the first exploration of possible regional industrial specialization in related sectors in Ireland at the NUTS 2 level. Linking the production multipliers with NACE codes by region allows one to explore whether potential region specialization is associated with Jacobian externalities in Ireland. Using a relatively novel LQ approach, and a cut-off value of 1.25 or above as an indicator of industrial specialization and clustering, this paper found that in the Border, Midlands West (BMW) region and the South East region, 29 and 32 sectors respectively had LQ greater than the cut-off value of 1.25. In terms of Jacobian externalities, this paper found businesses in related sectors; particularly finance and insurance and transport and telecommunications are more likely to cluster in the BMW region. From a policy perspective this would indicate that there may be a role for the Regional Assemblies, particularly the Assembly for the BMW region to help develop and co-ordinate regional industrial policy in Ireland. From a regional science perspective, this paper adds empirical evidence to the literature on Jacobian and related variety in regional economies.

Environment and Planning B Planning and Design

Traditionally, Ireland has reported high rates of admissions to acute psychiatric facilities for ... more Traditionally, Ireland has reported high rates of admissions to acute psychiatric facilities for mental illness in general. However, data limitations mean that there has been no research on the role of access and proximity on rates of admissions to acute psychiatric facilities. The Simulation Model of the Irish Local Economy (SMILE) produces synthetic small-area-level microdata on self-reported rates of depression. The National Psychiatric Inpatient Reporting System (NPIRS) contains spatially referenced data on admissions to acute psychiatric services (both public and private) by diagnosis. Combining the NPIRS and SMILE datasets using propensity score-matching techniques produces a small-area profile of individuals with depression that includes those who have accessed an acute psychiatric facility as well as those who have not. Linking the NPIRS and SMILE datasets allows one to examine the differential characteristics that lead individuals with depression to seek acute psychiatric s...