Chris Noone

Ollscoil na Gaillimhe – University of Galway | NUI Galway · School of Psychology

Mindfulness originated in the Buddhist tradition as a way of cultivating clarity of thought. Despite the fact that this behavior is best captured using critical thinking (CT) assessments, no studies have examined the effects of mindfulness on CT or the mechanisms underlying any such possible relationship. Even so, mindfulness has been suggested as...

Background While most modern research focuses on the clinical benefits of mindfulness, an emerging body of work suggests that mindfulness can facilitate self-regulation of everyday thinking in typically developing individuals. This behaviour is best captured using critical thinking assessments. The aim of this paper is to describe a rigorous, pre-r...

Metacognition, or thinking about thinking [1], refers to the application and regulation of cognitive processes. According to Boekaerts and Simons [2], Brown [3] and Ku and Ho [4], individuals think metacognitively in two ways: first, individuals must be aware of their own cognitive processes (e.g., through self-monitoring or self-regulation); secon...

Internationally, there is increasing interest in, and analysis of, human wellbeing and the economic, social, environmental, and psychological factors that contribute to it. Current thinking suggests that to measure social progress and national wellbeing we need more than GDP. Experts across a range of disciplines have increasingly highlighted a num...

Farming is dangerous, with fatalities among the highest in any occupation. Farmers often work alone, for long hours, with unreliable equipment and in difficult weather conditions with hazardous chemicals and livestock. In addition, farmers make large financial commitments exposing them to high levels of financial risk. Exposure to such financial ri...

Objective The objective of this scoping review is to map measured and overlooked health inequalities in patient experience surveys in acute care and to explore the potential consequences of different conceptualisations of these health inequalities. Introduction Measuring patient experience has become standard practice in many countries. However, de...

Background In May 2022, a global surge in mpox cases, typically endemic to Western and Central Africa, particularly affected gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM). This study examines gbMSM communities’ experiences and perceptions around Ireland’s public health response to the outbreak. Methods A cross-sectional mixed-methods...

Background HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a medication that prevents the acquisition of HIV, most commonly taken in the form of a pill. PrEP is an efficacious tool for HIV prevention, including among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM). PrEP is often provided through formal PrEP programmes. Research on these programme...

The Cass Report aimed to provide recommendations for how services for gender diverse children and young people should be delivered in England. Our critical appraisal reveals significant methodological and conceptual flaws within the report and the research commissioned to inform the report, which included seven systematic reviews and both quantitat...

Background HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a pill that prevents the transmission of HIV from sexual partners living with HIV; it is frequently taken by gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM). PrEP is often provided through formal PrEP programmes. Research on these programmes may employ discourses shaped by heteronormativi...

Introduction: The Irish Health Service Executive (HSE) Making Every Contact Count (MECC) Programme1 aims to integrate lifestyle behaviour interventions by health professionals to patients targeting health behavioural risk factors (e.g. physical activity, diet, smoking and drug and alcohol use. The MECC programme (implemented since 2019) is a key el...

People who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, and people who hold other marginalised sexual or gender identities (LGBTQI+) often experience notable health disparities. These disparities arise due to a complex interplay between social, cultural, structural, and political factors. Yet, within the European Health Psychology Society...

The integration of drug use and sexual practice has a long history (Race et al., The Future of Drugs: Recreational Drug Use and Sexual Health among Gay and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men. Sexual Health 14(1): 42–50. https://doi.org/10.1071/SH16080, 2017). Different communities have developed specific cultures related to the combination of drug use...

Background The public health impact of the Irish Making Every Contact Count (MECC) brief intervention programme is dependent on delivery by healthcare professionals. We aimed to identify enablers and modifiable barriers to MECC intervention delivery to optimize MECC implementation. Methods Online cross-sectional survey design. Healthcare professio...

Background Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM) report a higher prevalence of drug use in comparison to the general male population. However, in Ireland, there is a paucity of literature regarding the prevalence of drug use and its determinants among gbMSM. Aims/Objectives To quantify the prevalence of (i) recreational drug u...

Objectives: The public health impact of the Irish Making Every Contact Count (MECC) brief intervention programme is dependent on delivery by health care professionals. We aimed to identify enablers and modifiable barriers to MECC intervention delivery to optimize MECC implementation. Design: Online cross-sectional survey design. Methods: Healt...

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Psychological Science Accelerator coordinated three large-scale psychological studies to examine the effects of loss-gain framing, cognitive reappraisals, and autonomy framing manipulations on behavioral intentions and affective measures. The data collected (April to October 2020) included specific measures...

COVID-19 research has relied heavily on convenience-based samples, which—though often necessary—are susceptible to important sampling biases. We begin with a theoretical overview and introduction to the dynamics that underlie sampling bias. We then empirically examine sampling bias in online COVID-19 surveys and evaluate the degree to which common...

Objective: Research on Open Science practices in Health Psychology is lacking. This meta-research study aimed to identify research question priorities and obtain consensus on the Top 5 prioritised research questions for Open Science in Health Psychology. Methods and measures: An international Delphi consensus study was conducted. Twenty-three ex...

The COVID-19 pandemic (and its aftermath) highlights a critical need to communicate health information effectively to the global public. Given that subtle differences in information framing can have meaningful effects on behavior, behavioral science research highlights a pressing question: Is it more effective to frame COVID-19 health messages in t...

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased negative emotions and decreased positive emotions globally. Left unchecked, these emotional changes might have a wide array of adverse impacts. To reduce negative emotions and increase positive emotions, we tested the effectiveness of reappraisal, an emotion-regulation strategy that modifies how one thinks about...

‘Undetectable = Untransmittable’, or ‘U = U’, is a message which communicates the scientific consensus that people living with HIV who maintain an undetectable viral load cannot sexually transmit HIV to others. This research aimed to empirically test whether a protection-framed U = U message is more effective at decreasing HIV stigma and increasing...

Significance Communicating in ways that motivate engagement in social distancing remains a critical global public health priority during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study tested motivational qualities of messages about social distancing (those that promoted choice and agency vs. those that were forceful and shaming) in 25,718 people in 89 countries...

Objective: Research on Open Science practices in Health Psychology is lacking. This study aimed to identify research question priorities and obtain consensus on the Top 5 prioritised research questions for Open Science in Health Psychology.Methods and measures: An international Delphi consensus study was conducted. Twenty-three experts in Open Scie...

This research had three main objectives: 1. To assess attitudes towards different groups of people within the LGBT+ community, including Lesbian women, Gay men, Bisexual people, Trans people, Non-binary people and Intersex people; 2. To assess beliefs about gender and sexuality; and 3. To assess support for policies relevant to, and supportive of,...

Background: Brief behavioural interventions offered by healthcare professionals to target health behavioural risk factors (e.g. physical activity, diet, smoking and drug and alcohol use) can positively impact patient health outcomes. The Irish Health Service Executive (HSE) Making Every Contact Count (MECC) Programme supports healthcare professiona...

Background Alcohol consumption is a major public health concern in Ireland. Alcohol use disorder (AUD) appears to disproportionately affect men who have sex with men (MSM). However, little is known about the prevalence of AUD in this group in Ireland specifically, and the characteristics of MSM who may struggle with this. Methods The European MSM...

Background Alcohol consumption is a major public health concern in Ireland. Alcohol use disorder (AUD) disproportionately affects men who have sex with men (MSM). However, little is known about the prevalence of AUD in this group in Ireland specifically, and the characteristics of MSM who may struggle with this. Methods The European MSM Internet S...

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased negative emotions and decreased positive emotions globally. Left unchecked, these emotional changes might have a wide array of adverse impacts. To reduce negative emotions and increase positive emotions, we tested the effectiveness of reappraisal, an emotion-regulation strategy that modifies how one thinks about...

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased negative emotions and decreased positive emotions globally. Left unchecked, these emotional changes might have a wide array of adverse impacts. To reduce negative emotions and increase positive emotions, we tested the effectiveness of reappraisal, an emotion-regulation strategy that modifies how one thinks about...

Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Public Institution(s). Main funding source(s): Community Engaged Scholars Programme (CES-P), PPI Ignite, National University of Ireland, Galway Background Despite the well-established benefits of cardiovascular prevention and rehabilitation, programme uptake rates remain suboptimal. Delivering card...

People living with HIV who maintain an undetectable viral load by adhering to antiretroviral therapy cannot transmit the virus to others. The present pre-registered study sought to investigate whether messages about this fact have the potential to decrease HIV stigma, drawing on the framework of the Elaboration Likelihood Model to test variations i...

Background: Physical distancing measures (e.g., keeping a distance of two metres from others, avoiding crowded areas, and reducing the number of close physical contacts) continue to be among the most important preventative measures used to reduce the transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that causes coronaviru...

In March 2020, the Your COVID-19 Risk tool was developed in response to the global spread of SARS-CoV-2. The tool is an online resource based on key behavioural evidence-based risk factors related to contracting and spreading SARS-CoV-2. This article describes the development of the tool, the produced resources, the associated open repository, and...

Early in the pandemic, as scientific reports and preliminary research on both clinical and public health aspectsof COVID-19 were rapidly generated, we recognised the need for a dynamic, interactive tool that could captureand collate emerging evidence sources to inform research and decision-making efforts. In particular, we observed that numerous si...

Background Alcohol consumption is a major public health concern in Ireland. Alcohol use disorder (AUD) disproportionately affects men who have sex with men (MSM). However, little is known about the prevalence of AUD in this group in Ireland specifically, and the characteristics of MSM who may struggle with this. Methods The European MSM Internet S...

This scoping review focused on answering key questions about the focus, quality and generalisability of the quantitative evidence on the determinants of adherence to social distancing measures in research during the first wave of COVID-19. The review included 84 studies. The majority of included studies were conducted in Western Europe and the USA....

Understanding the mechanisms underlying the effects of behaviour change interventions is vital for accumulating valid scientific evidence, and useful to informing practice and policy-making across multiple domains. Traditional approaches to such evaluations have applied study designs and statistical models, which implicitly assume that change is li...

Background: Physical distancing measures (e.g., keeping a distance of two metres from others, avoiding crowded areas, and reducing the number of close physical contacts) continue to be among the most important preventative measures used to reduce the transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that causes coronaviru...

Background: Physical distancing measures (i.e., limiting physical contact with people outside of one’s household, maintaining a 2-metre distance between oneself and others, avoiding non-essential travel, etc.) are among the primary strategies used to prevent transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Thes...

Background: There is a growing global movement towards open science and ensuring that health research is more transparent. It is vital that the researchers are adequately prepared for this research environment from early in their careers. However, limited research has been conducted on the barriers and enablers to practicing open science for early...

Optimising public health physical distancing measures has been a critical part of the global response to the spread of COVID-19. Evidence collected during the current pandemic shows that the transmission rate of the virus is significantly reduced following implementation of intensive physical distancing measures. Adherence to these recommendations...

Background Sex tourism is defined as travel planned specifically for the purpose of sex, generally to a country where prostitution is legal. While much of the literature on sex tourism relates to the commercial sex worker industry, sex tourism also finds expression in non-transactional sexual encounters. This narrative review explores current conce...

The article describes a position statement and recommendations for actions that need to be taken to develop best practices for promoting scientific integrity through open science in health psychology endorsed at a Synergy Expert Group Meeting. Sixteen Synergy Meeting participants developed a set of recommendations for researchers, gatekeepers, and...

Background: The WHO has declared the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as a pandemic. With no vaccine currently available, using behavioural measures to reduce the spread of the virus within the population is an important tool in mitigating the effects of this pandemic. As such, social distancing measures are being implemented globall...

Optimising public health physical distancing measures has been a critical part of the global response to the spread of COVID-19. Evidence collected during the current pandemic shows that the transmission rate of the virus is significantly reduced following implementation of intensive physical distancing measures. Adherence to these recommendations...

Background: There is a growing global movement towards open science and ensuring that health research is more transparent. It is vital that the researchers are adequately prepared for this research environment from early in their careers. However, the barriers and enablers to practicing open science for early career researchers (ECRs) have been exp...

Policy brief to accompany "Barriers to seasonal influenza vaccine uptake among health care workers in long-term care facilities: A cross-sectional analysis"

Background: The WHO has declared the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as a pandemic. With no vaccine currently available, using behavioural measures to reduce the spread of the virus within the population is an important tool in mitigating the effects of this pandemic. As such, social distancing measures are being implemented globall...

Background: Little is known about the awareness of travellers with diabetes about the health effects of international travel. This study aimed to design and validate a questionnaire to examine the travel health knowledge, attitudes and practices of people living with type 1 diabetes. Methods: A set of 74 items based on a conceptual framework ana...

Background: The current COVID-19 pandemic has been identified as a possible trigger for increases in loneliness and social isolation among older people due to the restrictions on movement that many countries have put in place. Loneliness and social isolation are consistently identified as risk factors for poor mental and physical health in older p...

Spanking, whipping, and choking are examples of aggressive behaviours that can be performed in consensual sexual encounters. However, within the pornography research literature, such behaviours are often perceived as being nonconsensual, categorized as “violent,” and argued to predict sexual aggression. Viewing nonconsensual pornography may be asso...

Knowledge of how behaviour changes, i.e. the mechanisms underlying the effects of behaviour change interventions, is vital for accumulating valid scientific evidence and informing practice and policy-making across multiple domains. Traditional approaches to such evaluations have applied study designs and statistical models, which implicitly assume...

Objectives The vaccination of health care workers (HCWs) against influenza is recommended by numerous public health authorities. Despite these recommendations, the rate of vaccine uptake is poor, particularly among those working in long‐term care. The current study aimed to use the theoretical domains framework to identify the barriers associated w...

Aims This analysis aims to estimate the comparative efficacy of anti-hypertensive medications and exercise interventions on systolic and diastolic blood pressure reduction in people with hypertension. Methods A systematic review was conducted focusing on randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of exercise interventions and first-line anti-hypertensive...

The broad research consensus suggesting substantial vulnerabilities among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities may fail to recognize the protective factors available to these populations. The sparse literature on mental health promotion highlights the importance of understanding strengths-based community approaches that promote...

The National LGBT Federation conducted the largest ever consultation of the LGBT+ community in Ireland in 2016, the Burning Issues 2 study. One group of people which was specifically identified as needing more understanding and support was those in our community who have come to live in Ireland from abroad. Since there is a lack of research into t...

Background: The prevalence of hypertension is a major public health challenge. Despite it being highly preventable, hypertension is responsible for a significant proportion of global morbidity and mortality. Common methods for controlling hypertension include prescribing anti-hypertensive medication, a pharmacological approach, and increasing phys...

Background: Previous studies have reported on positive and negative psychological outcomes associated with the use of social networking sites (SNSs). Research efforts linking Facebook use with depression and low self-esteem have indicated that it might be the manner in which people engage with the site that makes its use problematic for some peopl...

Systems‐based approaches to societal problem‐solving entail a capacity to synthesise our knowledge and skills such that we can resolve shared problems. However, the increasing range of knowledge specialisms, scientific and engineering methods, and skill profiles at the population‐level challenges solidarity. It is also difficult to identify unifyin...

Background Many people living with cardiovascular disease (CVD) are affected by sexual problems associated with the condition. International guidelines recommend all patients with CVD should receive sexual counselling, yet this is rarely provided by health professionals. The current study piloted the Cardiac Health and Relationship Management and S...