Publications and Further Research Outputs
Peer-Reviewed Publications
Begley, Dr. Thelma, Downes, C., O'Sullivan, K., DrVries, J., Doyne, L., Keogh, B., Molloy, R., Monaghan, M., & Higgins, A., Healthcare and Mental Health experiences of People with Intersex Variation(s) in Ireland, Trinity Health and Education International Research Conference (THEconf 2025), School of Nursing and Midwifery, TCD, March 4th to 6th, 2025
Begley, T., Downes, C., O'Sullivan, K., Doyle, L., Keogh, B. DeVries, J., Molloy, R., Monahan, M., Kennedy, M. & HIggins A., Mental Health Experiences of People with Variations in Sex Characteristics (VSC): Findings from Being LGBTQI+ Study, Intersex Insights: Heritage; Visibility and Recognition, Dublin City University, 9th and 10th June, 2025
Higgins, A., Downes, C., O'Sullivan, K., de Vries, J., Molloy, R., Monahan, M., Keogh, B., Doyle, L., Begley, T., Corocan, P., The National Study on the Mental Health and Wellbeing of the LGBTQI+ Communities in Ireland: Key Findings Report, Key Findings, Trinity Collee Dublin, April, 2024, p1 - 22
Keogh, B., Brady, AM, Downes, C., Doyle, L., Higgins, A., McCann, T. & O'Sullivan, K., Mental Health Liaison Nursing and Minority Groups: The Role and Activities of a Traveller Mental Health Liaison Nurse., Trinity Health and Education International Research Conference 2021 (THEconf2021): 'Transforming healthcare in a changing world: new ways of thinking and working', School of Nursing and Midwifery, 10th March, 2021
Higgins A., Downes C., Daly L., Begley T., Sharek D. and De Vries J., Capacity building in sexual health promotion: a longitudinal evaluation of a training-the-trainer programme in Ireland, Sexual and Relationship Therapy, 36, (1), 2021, p46 - 67
Higgins, A. Downes, C., Murphy, R., Begley, T., McCann, E., Sheerin, F., Smyth, S., DeVries, J. & Doyle, L., LGBT+ young people's perceptions of barriers to accessing mental health services in Ireland., Journal of Nursing Management, 29, (1), 2021, p59 - 67
Jurcek A, Downes C, Keogh B, Urek M, Sheaf G, Hafford-Letchfield, Buitenkamp C, van der Vaart N, Higgins A, Educating health and social care practitioners on the experiences and needs of older LGBT+ adults: findings from a systematic review, Journal of Nursing Management , 29, (1), 2021, p43 - 57
O'Sullivan K, Brady AM, Downes C, Higgins A, Doyle L, McCann T & Keogh B, The role and activities of the Traveller mental health liaison nurse: Findings from a multi-stakeholder evaluation, International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 2021
Doyle, L., Keogh, B., Morrissey, J., Higgins, A. & Downes, C, Accessing Help for Self-Harm and Suicidal Behaviour in the Emergency Department: The Experiences of Service Users., Trinity Health and Education International Research Conference 2021 (THEconf2021): 'Transforming healthcare in a changing world: new ways of thinking and working', School of Nursing and Midwifery, 10th March, 2021
Keogh B, Brady AM, Downes C, Doyle L, Higgins A, & McCann T, Evaluation of a Traveller Mental Health Liaison Nurse: Service User Perspectives, Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 41, (9), 2020, p799 - 806
de Vries JMA, Downes C, Sharek D, Doyle L, Murphy, R, Begley, T, McCann E, Sheerin F, Smyth S & Higgins A , An exploration of happiness within the Irish LGBTI community,, Journal of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health, 24, (1), 2020, p40 - 76
Higgins A, Downes C, Sheaf G, Bus E, Connell S, Hafford-Letchfield T, Jurček A, Pezzella A, Rabelink I, Robotham G, Urek M, van der Vaart N & Keogh B, Pedagogical principles and methods underpinning education of health and social care practitioners on experiences and needs of older LGBT+ people: findings from a systematic review, Nurse Education in Practice , 2019
Higgins A, Downes C, Monahan M, Gill A, Lamb SA, Carroll M, Barriers to midwives and nurses addressing mental health issues with women during the perinatal period: The Mind Mothers study, Journal of Clinical Nursing, 27, (9-10), 2018
Carroll M, Downes C, Gill A, Nagal U, Madden D, Monahan M, Higgins A, Knowledge, confidence, skills and practices among Midwives in the Republic of Ireland in relation to perinatal mental health care: The Mind Mothers study, Midwifery, 64, 2018, p29 - 37
Keogh B, Brady AM, Downes C, Doyle L, Higgins A, McCann T, Improving Traveller mental health - the role of co-production: findings from an evaluation of a Traveller Mental Health Liaison Nurse in Carlow and Kilkenny. , IIMHN/COMMUNE Conference:Informing mental health nursing practice, education, and research through co production, Dublin, Ireland, 17th and 18th May, 2018
Higgins A; Downes C; Carroll M; Gill A; Monahan M , There is more to perinatal mental health care than depression: public health nurses' reported engagement and competence in perinatal mental health care, Journal of Clinical Nursing, 27, (3-4), 2017, pE476 - E487
Higgins A, Doyle L, Morrissey J, Downes C, Gill A, Bailey S., Documentary analysis of risk-assessment and safety-planning policies and tools in a mental health context, International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 25, (4), 2016, p385 - 395
Lafferty A., Fealy G., Downes C. and Drennan, J , The prevalence of potentially abusive behaviours in family caregiving: findings from a national survey of family carers of older people , Age and Ageing, 45, (5), 2016, p703 - 707
Downes, C., Gill, A., Doyle, L., Morrissey, J. & Higgins, A., Survey of mental health nurses' attitudes towards risk assessment, risk assessment tools and positive risk, Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 23, (3-4), 2016, p188-197-
Higgins, A., Doyle, L., Downes, C., Morrissey, J., Costello, P.,Brennan, M & Nash, M., There is more to risk and safety planning than dramatic risks: mental health nurses' risk assessment and safety management practice, International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 25, (2), 2016, p159 - 170
L. Doyle, Higgins, A., M. Nash, J. Morrissey, M. Brennan, A. Gill, P. Costello, C. Downes., Risk Assessment and Safety Planning in Mental Health Nursing Services, 16th Healthcare Interdisciplinary Research Conference, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin, 4th and 5th November
Non-Peer-Reviewed Publications
Higgins A, Downes C, O'Sullivan K, Monahan M, Begley T, Molloy R, Keogh B, Doyle L, de Vries J., Healthcare experiences, wellbeing and mental health of people who have variations in sex characteristics in Ireland, Trinity College Dublin, May, 2025, 1-54
Higgins A., Downes C., O"Sullivan K., de Vries J., Molloy R., Monahan M., Keogh B., Doyle L., Begley T., Corcoran P., Being LGBTQI+ in Ireland: The National Study on the Mental Health and Wellbeing of the LGBTQI+ Communities in Ireland, Trinity College Dublin, April, 2024, 1-289
de Vries, J., Downes, C., O'Sullivan, K., Molloy, R., Monahan, M., Keogh, B., Doyle, L., Begley, T., Corcoran, P., & Higgins, A., Being LGBTQI+ in Ireland: The National Study on the Mental Health and Wellbeing of the LGBTQI+ Communities in Ireland, Research Club Presentation, Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Dublin, Ireland, 04/07/2024, 2024, Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, 1 - 21pp
Keogh B, Brady AM, Downes C, Doyle L, Higgins A, McCann T, An Evaluation of the Role of the Traveller Mental Health Liaison Nurse in Carlow and Kilkenny, Dublin, Ireland, Trinity College Dublin, October, 2018
Keogh B, Brady AM, Downes C, Doyle L, Higgins A, McCann T, An Evaluation of the Role of the Traveller Mental Health Liaison Nurse in Carlow and Kilkenny [Summary Report], Dublin, Ireland, Trinity College Dublin, October, 2018
Higgins, A., Downes, C., Murphy, R., Sharek, D., de Vries, J., Begley, T., McCann, E., Sheerin, F., and Smyth, S , LGBTIreland Report: The National Study of the Mental Health and Wellbeing of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersex People in Ireland, Dublin, Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN) and BeLonG To Youth Services, 2016
Higgins A., Downes C., Daly L., Begley T., DeVries J. and Sharek D., The Development and Piloting of the Sexual Health Promotion Education Evaluation Tool (SH-PET) , Dublin, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin, 2016
Higgins, A., Doyle, L. Downes, C., Nash, M., Morrissey, J., Brennan, M & Costello, P, Risk Assessment and Safety Planning in Mental Health Nursing Services. An Exploration of Practices, Policies and Processes, Dublin, Health Service Executive, 2015
Research Expertise
Description
Mental health; Evaluation ResearchProjects
- Title
- Developing and testing a tool to evaluate a sexual capacity building programme
- Funding Agency
- HSE and Crisis Pregnancy Programme
- Date From
- 2015
- Date To
- 2016
- Title
- The SENsE study: An Evaluation of the role of the Epilspsy Specialist Nurse and the impact on patient quality of life
- Funding Agency
- MRCG/ HRB
- Date From
- 2013
- Date To
- 2016
- Title
- LGBTIreland: National study of the mental health and wellbeing of LGBTIreland people in Ireland
- Funding Agency
- GLEN and BeLonGTo
- Date From
- 2014
- Date To
- 2016
- Title
- The EOLAS Project: Evaluation of a co-produced and co-delivered information programme on recovery and mental health difficulties for users of services and family members
- Funding Agency
- HSE
- Date From
- 2013
- Title
- The SMARTER study: Exploring practices, policies and processes around risk and safety management within mental health nursing services
- Funding Agency
- HSE and NPMDU
- Date From
- 2013
- Date To
- 2015