Together, these research papers examine contemporary challenges in psychological wellbeing, Veterans, addiction treatment, and service innovation within the Irish context, with a shared focus on transition, implementation, and person-centred care. Each study addresses a different population and setting, yet collectively they highlight the gap between formal systems and lived experience, and the need for responsive, adaptive supports.

"Severing the Umbilical Cord" Examining the Psychological Impact on Veterans of the Transition from Soldier to Civilian in an Irish Context.

This study explores the psychological and psychosocial impact of transitioning from military to civilian life among Irish Defence Forces veterans. Situating the research within Ireland’s unique peacekeeping tradition, the study moves beyond dominant combat focused narratives to examine identity loss, mental , health challenges, and social disconnection experienced by veterans after service. Through qualitative interviews and contextual analysis, it reveals how the absence of structured transition supports and limited societal recognition can exacerbate adjustment difficulties. The findings underscore the need for tailored veteran specific transition programmes that address identity reconstruction, mental health, peer connection, and vocational reintegration.

From Workshop to Workplace: Examining the Use of Adolescent and Adult Community Reinforcement Approach (A/CRA) in Ireland.

This study focuses on addiction services and examines the real world implementation of the Adolescent and Adult Community Reinforcement Approach (A/CRA) in Ireland. While A/CRA is an evidence-based model with strong empirical support, this research investigates how it is understood, adapted, and sustained by practitioners in everyday clinical settings. By analysing factors such as organisational culture, supervision, practitioner confidence, and service user engagement, the study highlights both the strengths and the limitations of current implementation practices. It contributes to the broader implementation science literature by identifying practical barriers to fidelity and offering recommendations to strengthen training to-practice translation within Irish addiction services.

Using No-Code/Low-Code Mobile Application Development to Provide Increased Outcomes in Addiction Recovery.

This study explores the role of digital innovation in enhancing addiction recovery supports. It argues that no code and low code technologies offer a practical and inclusive pathway for addiction services to develop digital tools without requiring advanced technical expertise. By empowering clinicians and service users to co create applications that support engagement, self management, and continuity of care, the paper positions technology as a means of enhancing, rather than replacing, therapeutic relationships. The study emphasises accessibility, equity, and sustainability, demonstrating how digital solutions can be meaningfully integrated into behavioural health services. 

Is The Brain An Emotional Organ.

Emotion has long been a central topic in psychology and cognitive neuroscience, raising fundamental questions about how subjective experience arises from biological processes. Early theoretical accounts sought to explain emotion through either physiological responses or cognitive interpretations, leading to the development of several influential models. Understanding emotion remains challenging due to its complex, multidimensional nature and the difficulty of isolating emotional processes within the brain. Contemporary research increasingly recognises that emotional experience cannot be attributed to a single mechanism but instead emerges from dynamic interactions between neural systems, cognitive appraisals, and individual differences.

Does a relationship exist between Resilience and the Five Factor Model of Personality?

Resilience is a key psychological construct associated with individuals’ ability to adapt to adversity and stress. Personality traits, particularly those outlined in the Five Factor Model, Emotional Stability, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Intellect/Imagination have been suggested to influence resilience. However, previous findings on this relationship have been mixed. This study aims to examine whether a relationship exists between resilience and the Five Factor Model of personality. Using a quasi experimental, between groups design, validated psychometric measures were employed to explore these associations.

Mood Disorders & Bipolar Disorder & The DSM.

Mental health disorders involve significant disturbances in cognition, emotion, or behaviour that affect daily functioning. Clear definitions are essential to distinguish mental disturbance from normal or culturally appropriate responses to stress. The American Psychiatric Association provides a framework that guides clinical understanding and practice. Clinicians must accurately assess, diagnose, and classify mental disorders to ensure effective treatment. This paper focuses on these processes with particular emphasis on bipolar disorders.

Collectively, these works contribute to a holistic understanding of how individuals navigate complex transitions whether from military service, from training to clinical practice, or from treatment to long term recovery. They advocate for systems that are flexible, context sensitive, and grounded in lived experience, and they offer evidence based recommendations to improve psychological support, service delivery, and innovation within Ireland’s health and social care landscape.

Gang Culture-Power-Crime & Deviance.

This paper looks at the phenomenon of gangs, examining their structure, behaviors, and impacts on society from a sociological perspective. It highlights the intertwined relationship between gangs, crime, and deviance, noting that while crime and deviance have established definitions, the concept of a gang is more fluid. Drawing on Valdez’s (2011) definition, gangs are characterized by their unity through clothing, language, and shared activities, often involving criminal or socially threatening behavior. The paper also distinguishes between crime acts harmful to public welfare and prohibited by law and deviance, which encompasses behaviors that violate social norms and elicit societal disapproval, whether criminal or not. By analyzing gangs in this framework, the paper aimed to provide a deeper understanding of their social implications and the challenges they pose to communities.