Understanding the science of stress and loneliness

How did you develop an interest in psychology?

When I was in school in Galway I was interested in science, so I went to study engineering, but I soon realised I was more interested in the science of people. I think that had psychology been a subject in school I would have gone straight into it at college, but after starting engineering I reapplied for psychology and that’s how I started studying it.

What area of psychology do you research?

Broadly I look at the psychology of health and stress, and at the moment we are exploring loneliness in young adulthood. Loneliness is a feature of many mental health conditions, and emerging adulthood is a time of big change. In that transition from adolescence to adulthood, around 16 to 25 years old, you most likely finish school, maybe you move out of the family home and you build new networks of friends.

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We know that the brain continues to develop in important ways right into the mid-20s, and now we see that many cultural markers of adulthood such as moving out of the home, getting married, starting a family – they are tending to happen later. So it’s an interesting time of life to research from a biological and cultural perspective.

Tell us about some of the work you are doing.

I've been working with Spunout.ie on a project funded by the Irish Research Council, where young adults talk about their perspectives on what might lead to and maintain loneliness. That research brings together the theories about loneliness and the experience of people in this age group.

Already from the data we have collected we are seeing that both quantity and quality of social connections are important for young adults, and that the pandemic has had an impact on those in terms of reduced opportunities.

Then in the new year my lab hopes to start another piece of research, this time on the psychology of that transition when young people with diabetes move from paediatric to adult health services, to better support that transition.

What do you wish people knew about your field of work?

That we look for evidence and that we try to be objective. Because psychology is about people we can all bring something to the table, but as psychological researchers we take a scientific approach to studying human behaviour, thoughts and feelings. As researchers we step back from our own experiences and focus on the evidence.

And what keeps you going?

Having an education or training in psychology is valuable, it helps you to understand how other people work – including yourself. I also really enjoy the mix of research and teaching. Research in this area evolves, and I love that through teaching I able to bring that new research to people who may then go on to implement it outside the university, maybe in clinical practice. Because research is no good unless it gets used or implemented.

Finally, how do you get some headspace for yourself?

We have small children, aged two and three, so life is very busy. I find that since having children I have needed to be more realistic about using my time. I need to acknowledge that maybe I can’t do absolutely everything I want to do and that it is more than okay to accept offers of help. I’m lucky that I work with a great team of colleagues and PhD researchers, and that makes a huge difference.