About
35
Publications
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Introduction
Isabela is an IRC Government of Ireland Fellow for a study focusing on addressing risk factors and risk profile of older adults who self-harm.
Previously, Isabela was a Post-Doctoral Researcher (2019-2022) on the HRB programme Individual Area Level Determinants of Self-Harm Suicide in Ireland.
She qualified as a Clinical Psychologist at USFQ Ecuador, and completed an MSc in Global Mental Health at KCL. Her PhD thesis, titled Understanding self-harm in older adults was awarded PhD of the year.
Additional affiliations
June 2019 - May 2022
Position
- Postdoctoral Researcher
Description
- Post-Doctoral Researcher on the Health Research Board funded programme ‘Individual and Area Level Determinants of Self-Harm and Suicide in Ireland: Enhancing Prediction, Risk Assessment and Management of Self-Harm by Health Services’. Managed and co-lead the development and implementation of an advanced skills training for health professionals supporting people who self-harm: Self-harm Assessment and Management Programme for General Hospitals (SAMAGH) Training Programme.
Education
September 2016 - October 2019
September 2015 - October 2016
September 2010 - May 2015
Publications
Publications (35)
Background: Self-harm is a major public health concern. Increasing ageing populations and high risk of suicide in later life highlight the importance of identification of the particular characteristics of self-harm in older adults.
Aim: To systematically review characteristics of self-harm in older adults.
Methods: A comprehensive search for primar...
Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) has been increasingly encouraged in health services and research over the last two decades. Particularly strong evidence has been presented with regard to the impact that PPIE has in certain research areas, such as mental health. Involving the public in mental health research has the potential to...
Objective:
To examine changes in trends of hospital-presenting suicide-related ideation in older adults living in Ireland, during the first 24 months of the COVID-19 pandemic and 2018-2019.
Methods:
Data on presentations of patients aged 60 and older from participating hospitals of the National Clinical Programme for Self-Harm and Suicide-relate...
Background
The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared an ‘infodemic’ in 2020, that resulted in distrust in health authorities and impacted public mental health promoting confusion, worry, and fear. The aim of this study is to identify indicators associated with mental distress during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ireland.
Methods
A...
Objectives
To examine trends in rates of self-harm among emergency department (ED) presenting older adults in Ireland over a 13-year period.
Design
Population-based study using data from the National Self-Harm Registry Ireland.
Setting
National hospital EDs.
Participants
Older adults aged 60 years and over presenting with self-harm to hospital E...
Suicide can have a significant impact on the bereaved. Peer support groups for suicide bereavement have been shown to enhance the wellbeing of those attending. However, research is lacking on the mechanisms that underlie these benefits. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 adults attending peer-facilitated support groups in Ireland and...
Increasing research has been conducted on individuals presenting with self-harm at emergency departments (EDs). However, less is known about individuals presenting to EDs with only self-harm ideation. We aimed to describe the characteristics of those attending Irish hospitals with self-harm ideation and investigate any differences in comparison to...
Background
Research has indicated an increased risk of self-harm repetition and suicide among individuals with frequent self-harm episodes. Co-occurring physical and mental illness further increases the risk of self-harm and suicide. However, the association between this co-occurrence and frequent self-harm episodes is not well understood. The obje...
Background
There are widespread concerns that the COVID-19 pandemic may increase suicides. Few studies have analysed effects beyond the pandemic's early months or examined changes in known suicide risk factors.
Methods
Using time series models fit with Poisson regression, we analysed monthly police-reported suicides in Ecuador from January 2015 to...
Self-harm in young people is a serious international health concern that impacts on those providing informal support: the supporting individuals of young people. We aimed to highlight the experiences, views, and needs of these supporting individuals of young people. We conducted a systematic review and thematic synthesis: PROSPERO CRD42020168527. M...
Background
Existing evidence suggests that some individuals from ethnic minority backgrounds are at increased risk of suicide compared to their majority ethnic counterparts, whereas others are at decreased risk. We aimed to estimate the absolute and relative risk of suicide in individuals from ethnic minority backgrounds globally.
Methods
Database...
Background:
This study examines compliance with local travel restrictions and assesses early uptake of mask wearing, during the initial phase of the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Ireland, to inform the ongoing outbreak response.
Methods:
A series of four nationally representative telephone surveys were developed. Information...
Background : We assessed the mental health of individuals in the general population, during an initial period of easing of COVID-19 restrictions in the Republic of Ireland (RoI).
Methods: Data were collected through a nationally representative cross-sectional telephone survey, during the first period of easing of restrictions during the COVID-19 p...
Objective
This study aims for a greater understanding of how older adults (age 65 and older) in Jackson County, Florida, are prepared for and cope with the effects of a natural disaster.
Methods
A multidisciplinary, international research team developed a survey examining: (1) resources available to individuals aged 65+ in rural communities for pr...
Background: Despite most suicides occurring in low-and-middle-income countries (LAMICs), limited reports on suicide rates in older adults among LAMICs are available. In Ecuador, high suicide rates have been reported among adolescents. Little is known about the epidemiology of suicides among older adults in Ecuador.
Aim: To examine the sociodemograp...
Background
Research into the association between childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and self-harm repetition is limited.
Aims
We aimed to examine the association between self-harm repetition, mental health conditions, suicidal intent and CSA experiences among people who frequently self-harm.
Method
A mixed-methods study was conducted including consecut...
Background
Older adults receiving support services are a population at risk for self-harm due to physical illness and functional impairment, which are known risk factors. This study aims to investigate the relative importance of predictive factors of nonfatal self-harm among older adults assessed for support services in New Zealand.
Methods
interR...
Introduction : Covid-19 was declared a pandemic in March 2020. Since then, governments have implemented unprecedented public health measures to contain the virus. This study will provide evidence to inform responses to the pandemic by: i) estimating population prevalence and trends of self-reported symptoms of Covid-19 and the proportions of sympto...
Introduction : Covid-19 was declared a pandemic in March 2020. Since then, governments have implemented unprecedented public health measures to contain the virus. This study will provide evidence to inform responses to the pandemic by: i) estimating population prevalence and trends of self-reported symptoms of Covid-19 and the proportions of sympto...
Background:
Previous self-harm is one of the strongest predictors of future self-harm and suicide. Increased risk of repeated self-harm and suicide exists amongst patients presenting to hospital with high-risk self-harm and major self-harm repeaters. However, so far evidence-based training in the management of self-harm for mental health professio...
As what is measured within the clinical assessment or research investigations of suicidal ideation/thoughts possibly overlooks populations with self-harm ideation (having thoughts about self-harm methods), operationalizing a proper term for this type of ideation is vital for research and healthcare services.
This registration includes the rationa...
Background
Self-harm is a serious risk factor for suicide, a major public health concern, and a significant burden on the NHS. Rates of self-harm presentation in primary care are rising and GPs interact with patients both before and after they have self-harmed. There is significant public and political interest in reducing rates of self-harm, but t...
Background
Self-harm and suicide are major public health concerns. Self-harm is the strongest risk factor for suicide, with the highest suicide rates reported in older populations. Little is known about how older adults access care following self-harm, but they are in frequent contact with primary care.
Aim
To identify and explore barriers and fac...
Background
Self-harm is the leading risk factor for suicide, with elevated rates reported amongst older populations. This study explores how older adults experience self-harm, identifying factors leading to self-harm.
Methods
Semi-structured interviews with older adults (≥60 years) engaging in self-harm and support workers from third sector servic...
Background
The contribution of involving patients and public in health research is widely reported, particularly within mental health research. Less is written about such contributions to doctoral research. The research focus of this doctoral research, self‐harm in older adults, was put forward by a Patient Public Involvement Engagement (PPIE) grou...
Following the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Ecuador on 16 April 2016, multiple salient public health concerns were raised, including the need to provide mental health and psychosocial support for individual survivors and their communities. The World Health Organization and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees recommend conductin...
The number of people encountering a humanitarian crisis around the world is the highest since the Second World War, with over 76 million people in need of assistance (1). Amongst these, millions have a mental disorder, which in most cases, is left without treatment. The Andean country of Ecuador has encountered several natural disasters and armed c...
Esta revisión bibliográfica incluye información útil de antecedentes sobre el Ecuador y los efectos del terremoto del 2016, así como información sobre cómo la salud mental y apoyo psicosocial son comprendidos y percibidos por los diferentes grupos de población dentro del país ( antes y después del terremoto ). También se incluyen tasas de prevalenc...
The desk review includes useful background information on Ecuador and the effects of the earthquake, information on how mental health and psychosocial support is understood and perceived by different population groups within the country (before and after the earthquake), known prevalence rates for certain MH disorders, ideas for MHPSS programming r...
Within the population of people with eating disorders, it is very common to find self-destructive behavior and an external locus of control. This is because self-destructive behavior is highly correlated with eating disorders because of damage to oneself, and the feeling of loss of control that comes with an external locus of control. This study ma...
