Stress, trauma and resilience

Dr Klabunde’s research examines how children and young people process information inside their bodies and how childhood trauma can influence this, with consequences for mental wellbeing. Her research uses state of the art facilities in our Centre for Brain Science to study the developing structure and function of the brain.

The world’s largest brain study of childhood trauma has revealed how trauma affects development and rewires neural pathways. It is hoped the research will help hone new treatments for children who have endured mistreatment.

Researchers

• Megan Klabunde
• Anna Hughes
• Rebecca Ireton

Investigating the impact of childhood trauma on mental health over the long-term using a battery of physiological tests, questionnaires, interviews and measurements of brain activity with 9-13 year olds.

Researchers

• Helge Gillmeister
• Megan Klabunde

Collaborators

Healthwatch Essex, the POWER project, Essex Family Forum, Essex Multi-Schools Council, HCRG Healthy Schools Programme, Affinity Vanguard Service, Tendring Families First and Trauma Informed Schools UK

Working with an interdisciplinary team of biologists, epidemiologists and psychologists, examining gene-environment interactions during childhood in order to understand how genetic and biological factors interact with traumatic events, leading to poor mental health and resilience.

Researchers

• Anna Dearman

Working with local authorities to incorporate trauma-informed approaches into social care and other public sector services.

Researchers

• Dr Danny Taggart

Collaborators and Funders

• Research in Practice

Gendered violence can be a particular risk faced by migrants in precarious situations such as fleeing persecution, being internally displaced, with insecure work and housing conditions. This research examines gendered violence and poor mental health of migrants experiencing these challenging situations and develop responsive interventions to address their needs.

Researchers

• Professor Anuj Kapilashrami
• Professor Gill Green
• Professor Andrew Bateman
• Professor Gina Yannitell Reinhardt
• Professor Renos Papadopoulos
• Roomi Aziz

Collaborators and Funders

Funders:

• National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)
• UK AID

Collaborators:

• University of the Witwatersrand
• University of Johannesburg (South Africa)
• University of Africa (Zimbabwe)
• Tata Institute for Social Sciences (India)
• University of Oxford (UK)
• Health Poverty Action (UK, Myanmar, Zimbabwe)

Regulatory problems in infancy (e.g., excessive crying and sleeping difficulties) are associated with internalizing (depression and anxiety) and externalizing (aggression, hyperactivity) symptom trajectories across childhood, however, it is unknown whether early screen media exposure exacerbates this association.

We studied 10,170 individuals from the Growing Up in Ireland ’08 cohort. Parents reported on their children’s regulatory problems at 9 months, screen media exposure at 3 years, and internalizing and externalizing symptoms at 3, 5, 7, and 9 years. Presence of regulatory problems at 9 months was associated with higher screen media exposure at 3 years. Further, presence of regulatory problems at 9 months and excessive screen media exposure at 3 years (particularly>2 h) were independently associated with internalizing and externalizing symptoms across childhood.

However, excessive screen media exposure at 3 years did not significantly moderate the association between regulatory problems at 9 months and internalizing and externalizing symptoms.

Researchers

• Ayten Bilgin
• Seaneen Sloan (UCD)
• Ross D. Neville (UCD)

Funders and collaborators

• Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme 

The Stress, Trauma and Resilience research group (STAR) brings together from across the university researchers, clinicians, educators, and external community members who have expertise in the themes of stress, trauma and resilience. We explore the topic of stress by looking at how adversity and distress impacts all people and how resilience (which comes within the form of both internal and external resources) can buffer its impact and prevent future mental health and health problems.

The research conducted within this group aims to examine the impacts of stress, trauma and resiliency from micro (i.e. epigenetic/DNA) to population levels (how resources and public health policy can contribute to resilience).

Our Stress, Trauma and Resilience research group is led by Dr Megan Klabunde in the Department of Psychology.