BSc Psychology with Organisational Science; MSc Health Promotion; PhD Sociology, Applied Social Studies & Policy Studies
Research Fellow
Room: 29.1.2.03

Tel: 028 9097 5921
E-mail: aisling.mclaughlin@qub.ac.uk
Twitter: Aisling_ICCR

Biography

Since joining ICCR in 2009, I have worked primarily on the Belfast Youth Development Study. In recent years, we have received grants from a range of funders (Alcohol Research UK, OFMDFM, HSC R&D office) to carry out secondary analyses of the BYDS data including:

• parental monitoring, school and family influences on alcohol use; 
• health disparities surrounding adolescent alcohol use; 
• offending behaviour among youth; 
• resilience among children of problem drinkers and outcomes in adolescence and emerging adulthood. 

I currently hold a Cochrane Fellowship from R&D office to conduct a systematic review of preventive interventions to build resilience in children of problem drinkers. Other projects in ICCR which I have worked on include community gardening as a form of rehabilitation for individuals with alcohol misuse problems and an evaluation of the ‘Lifestart’ parenting programme.

Prior to working in ICCR, I held posts at University of Ulster, National Children’s Bureau & COE for Public Health (QUB) working on a range of projects including: RCT evaluations of a breastfeeding interventions, drug and alcohol interventions delivered to prisoners; public health and chronic disease modelling; women’s experiences of maternity services; eating attitudes among young people; mental health in unemployed men and; staff perceptions of residential child care.

Research interests

Resilience and outcomes for children affected by parental substance misuse; adolescent drug and alcohol use; families and parenting; child development; mixed methods/pragmatic paradigms; participatory methods with children and young people; systematic reviews; secondary data analysis.

Publications

Higgins, K., McCann, M., McLaughlin, A., McCartan, C. & Perra, O. (2013). Investigating parental monitoring, school and family influences on adolescent alcohol use. Institute of Child Care Research, Queen’s University Belfast. End of project report for Alcohol Research UK.

Seifert, A., McCartan, C., McLaughlin, A. & McCann, M. (2011). Investigating community gardening as a form of rehabilitation for people with alcohol misuse problems in Northern Ireland: Findings from a pilot study. Institute of Child Care Research, Queen’s University Belfast: Report to Alcohol Research UK.

Higgins, K., Perra, O., McCann, M., McCartan, C & McLaughlin, A. (2011). Alcohol and the affluence paradox: A secondary analysis exploring the health disparities surrounding adolescent alcohol use and alcohol related harm in adulthood. Institute of Child Care Research, Queen’s University Belfast: Report to the Alcohol Education Research Council.

Balanda, K.P., Barron, S., Fahy, L. & McLaughlin, A. (2010). Making Chronic Conditions Count: Hypertension, Stroke, Coronary Heart Disease, Diabetes. A systematic approach to estimating and forecasting population prevalence on the island of Ireland. Dublin: Institute of Public Health in Ireland.

Campbell, A. & McLaughlin, A. (2005). Views that Matter: Staff morale, qualifications and retention in residential childcare in Northern Ireland. London: National Children’s Bureau.

McLaughlin, A. (2006). ‘Workforce Issues.’ In Mainey, A. & Crimmens, D (ed). Fit for the Future? Residential child care in the United Kingdom. London: National Children’s Bureau.