Research
Research in Psychosocial Care to better understand the needs of children, adolescents, young adults and families affected by cancer and other serious illness
Barretstown has been an active community partner with the PPI Ignite Network at DCU for the past 3 years. The PPI Ignite Network provides national leadership for patient and public involvement in research in Ireland by building capacity and embedding meaningful public and patient engagement.
Major Research Projects / PhDs
Yale University Child Study Centre – Outcomes Evaluation Link to study
University of Nottingham (2008) – Wellbeing of Children & Young People Attending Barretstown Link to study
Peter Hanlon PhD – Exploring the Nature and Potential Contribution of a Therapeutic Recreation-Based Bereavement Service for Families whose Child has Died from Serious Illness (2014). Thesis awarded by University College Dublin
Peter Hanlon PhD et al. – Therapeutic Recreation as a Support for Bereaved Families (2015). University College Dublin Link to study
Peter Hanlon PhD et al. – Combining Bereavement and Therapeutic Recreation to Support Families who have Lost a Child to Serious Illness: The Barretstown Bereavement Programme (2016). University College Dublin Link to study
Emma Meyler PhD – Mitigating the Impact of Childhood Cancer on Irish families: The Role of Therapeutic Recreation (2008). Thesis awarded by University College Dublin Link to study
Emma Meyler PhD et al. – Examining the role of a therapeutic recreation programme in mitigating the impact of childhood cancer (2005). Thesis awarded by University College Dublin Link to study
Gemma Kiernan PhD – Therapeutic Recreation Camping Programmes for Children with Chronic Illnesses, and Their Siblings (2000). Thesis awarded by Trinity College Dublin
Gemma Kiernan PhD – Children’s Perspectives of Therapeutic Recreation: Data from the ‘Barretstown Studies (2002). Thesis awarded by Trinity College Dublin Link to study
Research Outputs – Published Papers
R. Safarifard, A. Molati, Y. Corcoran, G. Kiernan, E. Courtney, J. Mitchell, T. Foster Akard, V. Lambert (2026). An exploratory study of the feasibility and acceptability of a digital storytelling intervention in paediatric palliative care in Ireland, Journal of Pediatric Nursing, Volume 89, 2026, Pages 241-249 Link to article
Delemere, E., Guerin, S., Kiernan, G., Kinsella, E., Gitonga, I., Maguire, R. (2022). Perceived impacts of a therapeutic recreation-based hospital outreach programme (HOP) for children with chronic or severe illness: Qualitative analysis Link to article
Jennings, C.J. & Guerin, S. (2014). Therapeutic recreation models of practice: A synthesis of key elements and examination of children’s narratives of a camp experience for evidence of these elements. Therapeutic Recreation Journal, 48(4), 303-319. Link to article
Meyler, E., Guerin, S., Kiernan, G., & Breatnach, F. (2010). Review of family-based psychosocial interventions for childhood cancer. Journal of Paediatric Psychology, 35(10), 1116-32. Link to article
Walker DA & Pearman D (2009). Therapeutic recreation camps: an effective intervention for children and young people with chronic illness? Archives of Disease in Childhood, 94(5), 401-6. Link to article
Bergman, J., Kinsella, E., Kenny, J., Barbor, P., & Zeltzer. P. (2005). Medical utilization by immunodeficient, haemophiliac, and HIV positive children during summer camp: Evidence for a safe camper experience. Pediatric Blood & Cancer, 45(6), 826-830. Link to article
Kinsella, E., Zeltzer, P., Dignan, T., Winter, J., Breatnach, F. & Bouffet, E. (2006). Safety of summer camp for children with chronic and/or life threatening illness. European Journal of Oncology Nursing, 10(4), 304- 310. Link to article
Kiernan, G., Guerin, S. & MacLachlan, M. (2005). Children’s Voices: Qualitative data from the Barretstown Studies. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 42(7), 733-741. Link to article
Kiernan, G., Gormley, M. & MacLachlan, M. (2004). The Revised-Perceived Illness Experience Scale (R-PIE); Data from the ‘Barretstown Studies’. Behavioural Medicine, 30 (1), 23-31. Link to article
Kiernan, G., Gormley, M. & MacLachlan, M. (2004). Outcomes associated with participation in a therapeutic recreation camping programme for children from 15 European countries: Data from the ‘Barretstown Studies’. Social Science and Medicine, 59(5), 903-913. Link to article
Kiernan, G. & MacLachlan M. (2002). Children’s perspectives of therapeutic recreation; Data from the ‘Barretstown Studies’. Journal of Health Psychology, 7(5), 599-614. Link to article
Kiernan, G., Laurent J., Joiner, T., Catanzaro S. & MacLachlan M. (2001). Cross cultural analysis of the Tripartite Model; Data from the ‘Barretstown Studies’. Journal of Personality Assessment, 77 (2), 359-380. Link to article
Hanlon, P., Guerin, S. & Kiernan, G (2018). Reflections on the development of a therapeutic recreation based bereavement camp for families whose child has died from serious illness. Death Studies, 42(9), 593-603. Link to article
Hanlon, P., Kiernan, G., & Guerin, S. (2019). Staff and Parent Perspectives on a Therapeutic Recreation-Based Bereavement Camp for Families Whose Child Has Died From Serious Illness. OMEGA Journal of Death and Dying. Link to article
Other Outputs – Conferences & professional presentations
Mitchell, J. & Stott, C. (2016). Barretstown’s Hospital Outreach Programme (HOP). Paper presented at the 48th Congress of the International Society of Paediatric Oncology, Dublin 2016. Abstract published in Pediatric Blood and Cancer.
Mitchell, J. (2016). The impact of therapeutic recreation programming on a child with serious illness. Paper presented at the 48th Congress of the International Society of Paediatric Oncology, Dublin 2016. Abstract published in Pediatric Blood and Cancer. View & Download PDF
Hanlon, P., Guerin, S. & Kiernan, G. (2016). Combining bereavement and therapeutic recreation to support families who have lost a child to serious illness: The Barretstown Bereavement Programme. Paper presented at 45 th Annual Conference of Psychological Society of Ireland, Athlone, November 2016. Abstract published in The Irish Psychologist Magazine View & Download PDF
Guerin, S., Hanlon, P. & Kiernan, G. (2015). Exploring the role of therapeutic recreation in supporting families who have lost a child to serious illness. Paper presented at 44th Annual Conference of Psychological Society of Ireland, Galway, November, 2015. Abstract published in The Irish Psychologist Magazine. View & Download PDF
Stott, C. (2015). Developing the Evidence – how research impacts programme development at Barretstown. Poster presented at the Childhood Cancer International Conference. View & Download PDF
Guerin, S., Hanlon, P. & Kiernan, G. (2015). Therapeutic recreation as a support for bereaved families. Paper presented the 37th Annual Conference of the Association for Death Education and Counselling, San Antonio, Texas, USA, 2015. View & Download PDF
Stott, C. & Guerin, S (2014). The role of research in understanding the psychosocial needs of families affected by serious illness and innovative programme responses. Poster presented at European Conference on Rare Disease, Berlin, 8th-10th May 2014. www.eurordis.org. View Article
Hanlon, P., Guerin, S. & Kiernan, G. (2011). Exploring the role of therapeutic recreation in supporting families who have lost a child to serious illness. Paper presented at 40th Annual Conference of Psychological Society of Ireland, Galway, November 2011. Abstract published in The Irish Psychologist Magazine. View & Download PDF
Guerin, S., Meyler, E., Kiernan, G. & Breatnach, F. (2008). Parents’ experiences of a therapeutic programme for families affected by childhood cancer. Oral paper presented at the 10th World Congress of Psycho-Oncology, Madrid, Spain, June, 2008. View & Download PDF
Kinsella, E., Dignan, T., Breatnach, F. & Zeltzer, P. (2005). Quality of medical facility visits for teenagers and younger European children with sarcomas at Barretstown therapeutic camp: A four-year study for quality of living. Poster presented at the 37th Congress of the International Society of Paediatric Oncology 2005. Abstract published in Pediatric Blood and Cancer. View & Download PDF
Zeltzer, P., Kinsella, E., Dignan, T., Barbor, P. & Breatnach, F. (2005). Medical facility visits for teenage & younger European children with sarcomas attending Barretstown Therapeutic Camp: A four year comparative study for quality of life. Poster presented at the Sarcoma Meeting, Stuttgart, Germany, 2005. View & Download PDF
Meyler, E., Guerin, S., Kiernan, G. & Breatnach, F. (2005). Examining the role of a therapeutic recreation programme in mitigating the impact of childhood cancer. Paper presented at 36th Annual Conference of Psychological Society of Ireland, City of Derry, Northern Ireland, November 2005. Abstract published in The Irish Psychologist Magazine. View & Download PDF
Hanlon, P., McMahon, E. & Guerin, S. (2005). Evaluating a bereavement programme for families who have lost a child to serious illness. Paper presented at 36th Annual Conference of Psychological Society of Ireland, City of Derry Northern Ireland, November 2005. Abstract published in The Irish Psychologist Magazine. View & Download PDF
Hanlon, P., McMahon, E. & Guerin, S. (2005). Evaluating a bereavement programme for families who have lost a child to serious illness. Paper presented at 36th Annual Conference of Psychological Society of Ireland, City of Derry Northern Ireland, November 2005. Abstract published in The Irish Psychologist Magazine. View & Download PDF
Guerin, S. (2002). Examining the impact of a therapeutic recreation programme. Paper presented at 33rd Annual Conference of Psychological Society of Ireland, Waterford, November 2002. Abstract published in The Irish Psychologist Magazine. View & Download PDF
Bouffet, E., Kinsella, E., Richardson, L., Dignan, T., Breatnach, F. & Zeltzer, P. (2002). Medical Facility utilization and safety at Barretstown summer therapeutic recreation camp for European children with cancer/serious illnesses: A 4-year experience. Oral presentation during the 34th Congress of the International Society of Paediatric Oncology 2002, Porto, Portugal. Abstract published in the Journal of Paediatric Oncology. View & Download PDF
Hanlon, P., Kiernan, G., & Guerin, S. (2019). Staff and Parent Perspectives on a Therapeutic Recreation-Based Bereavement Camp for Families Whose Child Has Died From Serious Illness. OMEGA Journal of Death and Dying. View Article
Peter Hanlon, Suzanne Guerin & Gemma Kiernan (2018) Reflections on the development of a therapeutic recreation-based bereavement camp for families whose child has died from serious illness, Death Studies, 42:9, 593-603, DOI: 10.1080/07481187.2017.1407012 View Article