Maternal, Child and Family Health Research Group

• Delivery and evaluation of health care
• Pathways to diagnosis
• Communication and decision-making
• Supportive care
• Palliative care
• Technology that informs care
• Mental health of those on the cancer journey, children and the whole family.

• Obesity
• Pre-conception
• Contraception
• Diabetes
• Problem substance use
• Obesity in the perinatal period
• Nutrition
• Perinatal mental health
• Perinatal depression
• Integrated interventions.

• Inequalities in health care for children and young people with and without learning disabilities
• Public health and safeguarding
• Rare diseases
• Transition
• Arts use in health care
• Preventing accidents in the under-fives
• Child and adolescent mental health
• Problem substance use rather than drug use
• Children’s visual development including amblyopia, binocular vision and strabismus
• Sexual health of young people
• Anti-bullying.

• Values based recruitment of students to educational pathways
• Using drama to teach ethics
• The potential of LEGO® and adapted LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® activities for improving student engagement, dialogue and critical reflection, and encouraging rich participation in classroom-based learning activities.

• Minimising the use of restrictive practices in mental healthcare
• Improving the physical health of people with severe and enduring mental health conditions
• Improving the mental health and quality of life of people with physical health conditions.

Some of our current studies include:

1. Do specialist cancer services for teenagers and young adults add value? BRIGHTLIGHT study 
2. James Lind Alliance Research Priority setting exercise – teenagers and young adults with cancer 
3. Pay more attention: a national mixed methods study to identify the barriers and facilitators to ensuring children and young people with learning disabilities and their families receive equal access to high quality hospital care and services 
4. Transition: understanding it and making it work
5. Methods to assess cognitive development in children (0-8 years) in relation to preconception and prenatal maternal nutrition: a systematic review 
6. The Role of Zinc in Depressed Pregnant and Non-Pregnant Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis 
7. Can low serum zinc levels predict the presence of perinatal depression symptoms?  Nadine Page, Michelle Townsend, Karen Charlton, Hilary Davies, Chris Harrington, Anthony Dosset
8. Longitudinal cohort studies exploring the reliability and predictive validity of multiple mini interviews (MMIs)
9. Longitudinal hermeneutic cross-discipline study exploring the ‘values journey’ of nursing and midwifery students
10. Exploring virtual reality as a teaching methodology in pre-registration healthcare student education
11. Situational Judgment Test-Mixed methods study to develop and validate online tool
12. Addressing a Critical Need: Feasibility of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Bariatric Surgery Patients at 15-18 months post- surgery (the FAB study)
13. Enhancing de-escalation techniques in adult acute and forensic units: development and evaluation of an evidence-based training intervention (the EDITION study)
14. Cancer screening uptake in people with severe mental illness.

1. Penny Franklin: Engaging with parents and with their children, to support the children, when a parent has a life-limiting illness, and after a parent has died. Designing an intervention for health care professionals. Primary Supervisor Dr Ann Arber
2. Alison Smith: The role of art interventions in the reduction of experiential avoidance for military veterans with PTSD- a grounded theory study. Institution of study: Salomons Centre for Applied Psychology, Canterbury Christ Church University. Supervisors: Dr Sue Holttum, Senior Lecturer; Dr Val Huet Chief Executive of The British Association of Art Therapists.
3. Time 4 siblings: an exploration of the experiences of siblings (aged 6-12 years) when a brother or sister is diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL) to inform the development of an intervention.

Cockle-Hearne J, Aldiss S, Gibson F, Milne S, Todd J, Ream E. Support interventions provided during palliative care to families with dependent children when a parent has terminal illness: a scoping review protocol. JBI Evidence Synthesis 2021 Vol. 19 Issue 11 Pages 3163-3173

Aldiss S, Gibson F (2020) Best Practice for Healthcare Transition: Development and Use of the Benchmarks for Transition in Betz C and Coyne I. Transition from Pediatric to Adult Healthcare Services for Adolescents and Young Adults with Long-term Conditions: An International Perspective on Nurses' Roles and Interventions. Springer, Cham.

Campbell F, Aldiss S, Biggs K (2020) Transition of Care for Adolescents from Child to Adult Health Services: A Systematic Review in Betz C and Coyne I. Transition from Pediatric to Adult Healthcare Services for Adolescents and Young Adults with Long-term Conditions: An International Perspective on Nurses' Roles and Interventions. Springer, Cham.

Chung JOK, Lam KKW, Ho KY, Cheung AT, Ho LK, Xei VW, Gibson F, Cheung Li WH. (2020) Psychometric evaluation of the traditional Chinese version of the resilience Scale-14 assessment of resilience in Hong Kong adolescents. Health Qual Life Outcomes. 18: 33. doi: 10.1186/s12955-020-01285-4

Cockle-Hearne J, Reed E, Todd J, Ream E. The dying parent and dependent children: a nationwide survey of hospice and community palliative care support services. BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care 2020: 0: 1-9. doi: 10.1136/bmjspcare-2019-001947

Gamblin, D., Tobutt, C, & Patton, R. (2020) Alcohol identification and brief advice in England’s Criminal Justice System: A review of the evidence. Journal of Substance Use. .

Goodman, H., Papastavrou Brooks, C., Price, O. et al. Barriers and facilitators to the effective de-escalation of conflict behaviours in forensic high-secure settings: a qualitative study. Int J Ment Health Syst 14, 59 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13033-020-00392-5

Jones F, Whitehouse A, Dopson A, Palaghias N, Aldiss S, Gibson F, Shawe J. (2020) Reducing unintentional injuries in under fives: Development and testing of a mobile phone app. Child: Care, Health and Development. 46(2): 203– 212.

Koo MM, Lyratzopoulos G, Herbert A, Abel GA, Taylor RM Barber JA, Gibson F, Whelan J, Fern LA. (2020) Association of self-reported presenting symptoms and timeliness of help-seeking among adolescents and young adults with cancer. JAMA Network JAMA Network Open. 2020;3(9):e2015437. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.15437

Neilson S, Gibson F, Jeffares S, Greenfield SM. (2020) GPs and paediatric oncology palliative care: a Q methodological study BMJ supportive & palliative care 10 (2), e11-e11

Pearce S, Gibson F, Whelan J, Kelly D (2020) Untellable tales and uncertain futures: the unfolding narratives of young adults with cancer. International Journal of Social Research Methodology 23 (4), 377-390

Taylor RM, Lobel B, Thompson K, Onashile A, Croasdale M, Hall N, Gibson F, Martins A, Wright D, Morgan S, Whelan, JS, Fern LA. (2020) BRIGHTLIGHT researchers as ‘dramaturgs: creating There is a Light from complex research data. Research Involvement and Engagement. 6: 48. 10. doi: 10.1186/s40900-020-00222-5

Aldiss S (2019) Models and Principles of Transition. In Llahana S., Follin C., Yedinak C. and Grossman A. Advanced Practice in Endocrinology Nursing. Springer.

Aldiss S, Rose L, McCutcheon D, Cass H, Ellis J, Gibson F (2019) Gathering expert opinion to inform benchmarks to support transitional care. Journal of Child Health Care, 23(1):131-146.

Lea S, Gibson F, Taylor RM (2019) The culture of young people’s cancer care: a narrative review and synthesis of the UK literature European Journal of Cancer Care 28(3):e13099

Livermore P, Wedderburn LR, Gibson F. (2019) You give me a name that I cant say, but I have to explain what it is every day: the power of poetry to share stories from young people with a rare disease. Journal of Poetry Therapy, 1-10

Martins A, Alvarez-Galvez J, Fern LA, Vindrola-Padros C, Barber JA, Gibson F, Whelan JS, Taylor RM. (2019) The BRIGHTLIGHT National Survey of the impact of specialist teenage and young adult cancer care on caregivers information and support needs. Cancer Nursing  doi: 10.1097/NCC.0000000000000771.

Pearce S, Whelan J, Kelly D, Gibson F (2019) Renegotiation of identity in young adults with cancer: a longitudinal study. International Journal Of Nursing Studies doi: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2019.103465

Aldiss S, Rose L, McCutcheon D, Cass H, Ellis J, Gibson F (2018) Gathering expert opinion to inform benchmarks to support transitional care, Journal of Child Health Care. doi: 10.1177/1367493518780486. [Epub ahead of print]

Bryan G, Bluebond-Langner M, Kelly D, Kumpunen S, Oulton K, Gibson F (2018) Studying children’s experiences in interactions with clinicians: identifying methods fit for purpose Qualitative Health Research doi: 10.1177/1049732318801358. [Epub ahead of print]

Callwood A, Jeevaratnam K, Kotronoulas G, Schneider, A, Lewis, L, Devi Nadarajah, V. (2018) Personal domains assessed in multiple mini interviews (MMIs) for healthcare student selection: A narrative synthesis systematic review. Nurse Education Today 64:56-64 doi:10.1016/j.net.2018.01.016

Callwood A, Cooke D, Bolger S, Lemanska A, Allan H. (2018) The reliability and validity of multiple mini interviews (MMIs) in values based recruitment to nursing, midwifery and paramedic practice programmes: Findings from an evaluation study. International Journal of Nursing Studies 77:138-144 doi:10.1016/j.ijnstu.2017.10.003

Callwood A, Bolger S, Allan H.  (2018) Exploring the ‘values journey’ of student nurses who have been recruited using values-based approaches. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 00:1-11 doi: 10.1111/jan.13514

Chung J, Lam K, Ho KY, Cheung AT, Ho L, Gibson F, Li W (2018) Relationships among resilience, self-esteem and depressive symptoms in Chinese adolescents. J Health Psychology doi: 10.1177/1359105318800159. [Epub ahead of print]

Coad J, Smith J, Pontin D, Gibson F (2018) 'Consult, Negotiate, and Involve: Evaluation of an Advanced Communication Skills Program for Health Care Professionals'. J Pediatric Oncology Nursing 35(4) 296-307

Davies HR, Hackett, R, Cadar D, Herbert A, Orrell M and Steptoe A (2018). Vision impairment and risk of dementia: Findings from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Journal of Gerontology doi: 10.1111/jgs.15456. [Epub ahead of print]

Hackett, R, Davies HR, Cadar D, Orrell M and Steptoe A. (2018). Walking speed, cognitive function and risk of dementia: Findings from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Journal of Gerontology. doi: 10.1111/jgs.15312. [Epub ahead of print]

Dorina Cadar, PhD; Camille Lassale, PhD; Hilary Davies, PhD; David J. Llewellyn, PhD; G. David Batty, DSc; Andrew Steptoe, DSc (2018). Individual and Area-Based Socioeconomic Factors Associated With Dementia Incidence in England. Evidence from a 12-Year Follow-up in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. 75(7):723-732.

Davies HR, Petersen I, Nazareth I, Stevenson. (2018). Factors influencing recording of drug-misuse in primary care –a qualitative study. BJGP 68(669):e234-e244.

Davies-Kershaw H (contributor) Children’s Policy Research Unit. Parental Alcohol Misuse and the Impact on Children: a Rapid Evidence Review of Service Presentations and Interventions (2018) http://www.ucl.ac.uk/children-policy-research/research/projects/complet….

Gibson F, Kumpunen S, Bryan G, Forbat L. (2018) 'Insights from parents of a child with leukaemia and healthcare professionals about sharing illness and treatment information: a qualitative research study'. International Journal of Nursing Studies 83: 91-102

Herbert A, Lyratzopoulos G, Whelan J, Taylor R, Barber J, Gibson F, Fern L (2018) 'Diagnostic timeliness in teenagers and young adults with Cross-sectional findings from the BRIGHTLIGHT cohort' Lancet Child and Adolescent Health 2(3):180-190. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2352-4642(18)30004-X

Lavender V, Gibson F, Brownsdon A, Fern L, Whelan J, Pearce S. (2018) Health professionals perceptions of communicating with adolescents and young adults about bone cancer clinical trial participation. Supportive Care in Cancer doi: 10.1007/s00520-018-4337-4. [Epub ahead of print]

Marsh W, Leamon J, Robinson A & Shawe J (2018) 'LEARNS: A creative approach to analysing and representing narrative data incorporating photo-elicitation techniques' Journal of Research in Nursing 23, (4) 334 -343.  https://doi.org/10.1177/1744987117750218

Mayer F, Bick D and Taylor C. (2018) Multidisciplinary care for pregnant women with cardiac disease: A mixed methods evaluation. IJNS 85: 96-105

McGregor, F., Stretch, R., Robinson, A., Cannon, E., and Shawe, J. (2018) ‘Nurse-led sexual health clinics in hostels for homeless people’. Nursing Times 114(5) pp.42-46

Morriss-Roberts C, Oulton K, Sell D, Wray J, Gibson F. (2018) How should health service researchers respect children’s personal data under GDPR? Lancet Child Adolescent Health 2(10) 696-697.

Oulton K, Gibson F, Carr L, Hassiotis A, Jewitt C, Kenten C, Russell J, Whiting M, Tuffrey-Wijne I, Wray J (2018) 'Mapping staff perspectives towards the delivery of hospital care for children and young people with and without learning disabilities in England: a mixed methods national study'. BMC Health Services Research 18(1): 203

Regmi, D., Tobut, C., and Shaban, S. (2018) Quality use of free smoking apps for smartphones. International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care, doi:.10.1017/S0266462318000521.

Robinson P, Oberoi S, Tomlinson D, Duong N, Davis H, Cataudella D, Culos-Reed N, Gibson F, Götte M, Hinds P, Nijhof SL,Torre P, Cabral S, Dupuis L, Sung L (2018) 'Management of fatigue in children and adolescents with cancer and in paediatric recipients of haemopoietic stem-cell transplants: a clinical practice guideline'. The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health 2(5):371–378.

Soanes L, Gibson F (2018) 'Protecting an adult identity: A grounded theory of supportive care for young adults recently diagnosed with cancer'. International Journal of Nursing Studies Jan 31;81:40-48.

Wray J, Brown K, Tregay J, Crowe S, Knowles R, Bull K, Gibson F (2018) 'Parents' experiences of caring for their child at the time of discharge after cardiac surgery and during the post-discharge period: qualitative study using an online forum'. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 20(5):e155.

Soanes L, Gibson F (2018) 'Protecting an adult identity: A grounded theory of supportive care for young adults recently diagnosed with cancer'. International Journal of Nursing Studies Jan 31;81:40-48.

Wray J, Brown K, Tregay J, Crowe S, Knowles R, Bull K, Gibson F (2018) 'Parents' experiences of caring for their child at the time of discharge after cardiac surgery and during the post-discharge period: qualitative study using an online forum'. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 20(5):e155.

Aldiss SK, Cass H, Ellis J, Gibson F (2016) “We Sometimes Hold on to Ours” – Professionals’ Views on Factors that both Delay and Facilitate Transition to Adult Care, Frontiers in Pediatrics 4 125 pp. 1-12 Frontiers Media, DOI: 10.3389/fped.2016.00125