SCHOOL of Psychology: Research Staff

 DR. SALLY DOHERTY

  Office Rm. 109, Cois Abhainn
  Telephone +353-91-495954
  Fax +353-91-495574
  E-mail Sally Doherty

Dr. Sally Doherty BSc (Hons), PhD

Sally Doherty completed her undergraduate and postgraduate studies in the University of Ulster, school of psychology in the Magee campus Derry. Following completion of her PhD in 2008 Sally began working as a post doctoral researcher with the school of psychology at the National University of Ireland, Galway on a three year project known as The CHARMS Study funded by the HRB.

The CHARMS Study is about the psychological and physical wellbeing of people with Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) and their sexual and relationship problems. It is a three year study which involves describing the experiences of the service providers both GP’s and cardiac rehabilitation staff in dealing with sexual issues for people with CHD. It also describes the patient’s perspective and explores the sexual health problems and issues after a coronary event in men and women. Finally this study aims to develop a set of national guidelines to improve health services in the area of sexual functioning for people with CHD in Ireland. The research team include: principle investigator Dr Molly Byrne (Sch. of Psychology NUI, Galway), Prof. Andrew Murphy (General Practice, NUI, Galway) and Prof Hannah McGee (RCSI, Dublin)
To find out more about this project please visit: http://www.nuigalway.ie/psy/charms.html

Previous work

PhD: Childhood Trauma and Parental Psychopathology – Associations with Adult Alcohol Addiction - A Latent Class Approach
Supervisors: Prof. B.Bunting and Dr S. McCann
The aim was to explore the prevalence of childhood abuse and parental substance misuse and depression in relation to DSM criteria for alcohol dependence and abuse in adults. Results incorporating data from two American databases (NCS and NCS-R) were compared. Latent class analysis allows for the patterns of response to be explored, while multinomial logistic regression analysis examined the odds ratio associations between the latent classes. This research could lend to the development of an exposure –risk model for use in intervention in family therapy and alcohol addiction services. Results supported an exposure risk model with significant gender differences in relation to both endorsing criteria for alcohol addiction and trauma history.

Research Assistant, with the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Research Institute Jordanstown Belfast – a project with Professor Suzanne McDonough. The study sought to investigate the pattern and comorbidity of Chronic Back Pain (CBP) and mental disorders in a longitudinal population based survey.

Locum with Donegal Women’s Domestic Violence Service (2005 - 2008)
Learning resource teacher Killian National School (2003 - 2008)
Resource worker with Foster First Ireland (2006)

Courses currently attending

Post Graduate Certificate in teaching and learning in higher education (NUI, Galway)

Conferences & Presentations

• Northern Ireland British Psychological Society (NIBPS) Belfast May 2006 – First prize for presentation “Multiple Childhood Adversities Parental Psychopathologies and Adult Addictions to Alcohol”
• Psychological Association of Ireland (PSI) November 2006 Galway “Effects of Childhood Traumas on Adult Alcohol Addictions”
• Psychology Student Congress of Ireland UCD March 2007 Second Prize for presentation “Effects of Multiple Childhood Traumas on Adult Alcohol Addictions – A Latent Class Approach across Three Databases”
• Neuroscience and Mental Health RRG (Recognised Research Group, Queens Belfast) Poster presentation on mplus and the application to research Belfast October 2007
• Division of Clinical Psychology (DCP) Poster presentation London December 2007
• Attended International Conference on Innovations in Clinical Psychology UCD October 2007
• Attended 2 Day Conference 4th Annual Mental Health Conference – UUM November 2007
• Annual BPS Conference Presented a poster Effects of Multiple Childhood Traumas on Adult Alcohol Addictions – A Latent Class Approach at the conference in Dublin April 2008
• PSI Health Research Conference Trinity College Dublin 2009 “Effects of Multiple Childhood Traumas on Adult Alcohol Addictions – A Latent Class Approach NCS-R
• The Cardiac nurses conference Killarney 2009 Moderated Poster “ The CHARMS Study” results from the first phase
• IACR Irish Association Cardiac Rehabilitation conference Dublin October 2009 poster presentation “The CHARMS Study” results from the first phase.

Publications

• Doherty, S., Bunting, B., McCann, S. (2009) Effects of Childhood Traumas on Adult Alcohol Addictions – A latent class approach. British Journal of Clinical Psychology. (Publication pending)
• Byrne, M., Doherty, S., McGee, H.M., Murphy, A.W. (2009). General practitioners views about discussing sexual issues with patients with coronary heart disease: a national survey in Ireland. BMC Family Practice (publication pending)

Teaching responsibilities

• Seminar work with 2nd and 3rd year psychology students Biopsychology, Social psychology and Counselling psychology UU Magee Derry 2005
• Social Psychology 2nd year part time lecturer NUI Galway 2008
• SPSS Statistics Classes 2nd year Occupational therapy students NUI, Galway 2009
• Developmental psychology first year arts students NUI, Galway 2009
• Research Methods third year occupational therapy students NUI, Galway 2010
• Psychology for Primary care workers Post graduate students NUI, Galway 2010
• Supervision of final year psychology students and health masters students NUI Galway 2009-10

Professional membership

• Graduate member of BPS and PSI
• Graduate member of the DCP Division of Clinical Psychology
• Affiliate member of the Northern Ireland Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Group (RRG)

• Disclaimer
• Privacy
• Copyright
• Accessibility