Research projects by three Cork women shed new light on key issues

Kate Cooley, Marie Singleton and Kate Dolan-Crowley completed their MA research in recent months, graduating from MTU.

The three women were supervised by Prof Margaret Linehan, Dr Judith Butler, and Dr Alison Merrotsy.

Their recent work puts the spotlight on unique areas, including experiences of menstruation, trauma-informed training for university staff, and transitioing to independence for car-experienced people.

Experiences of menstruation

The majority of people Kate Dolan- Crowley interviewed for her master’s research entitled ‘What are Munster Technological University students’ experiences of menstruation and reusable period products?’ felt that periods had a negative impact on their education.

Kate felt strongly that there was very little information on the impacts of menstruation in high-income countries and still a lot of stigma, which motivated her to undertake the research.

“Although this research was based on the MTU student population, it was an opportunity to academically capture what the majority of menstruators talk about with their family or circle of friends,” said Kate.

“There were 10 interviewees and 318 questionnaire respondents. The majority of my results is what I would have expected from conversations in my personal life: 58% of participants felt frustrated when menstruating, 51% felt depressed and 44% felt weak. Not only did menstruators have negative feelings when menstruating, but 61% of participants also felt periods had a negative impact on education.

“The interviews I conducted gave a greater insight into the negative impact on education as students were missing lectures, unable to concentrate when in lectures, or unable to perform at a level they were satisfied with in exams compared to when they were not menstruating,” said Kate, who is a social care worker.

For her dissertation for her BA (Honours) in Social Care in 2022, she evaluated the Code Red pilot – that was when MTU became the first college in Ireland to provide free period products to staff and students.

“My master’s research showed 84% of participants used Code Red when they ran out of period products while on campus, and 79% of participants used the initiative when they unexpectedly got their period.

“An interesting result was that 57% of participants who did not use reusable period products were open to trying them, but their biggest barriers was lack of education the participants had about the products, despite being aware of them.”

Her ambition is that her research would be used to influence policy to those who struggle with menstruation.

“I would also like to see it be used to influence menstrual health literacy in Ireland for menstruators to be able to make informed choices about the products, what a normal period looks like, when to seek medical attention and advocate for yourself within the health services,” added Kate.

Trauma-informed training

All but one of the MTU staff interviewed by Marie Singleton for her research for her masters in Applied Social Studies had encountered students facing distressing situations, with some sharing experiences involving students who had struggled with thoughts of self-harm or who were coping with the loss of a fellow student.

And although staff had ed students through these sensitive challenges, only three had received trauma-specific training.

Her research is titled ‘Envisioning MTU as a Trauma-Sensitive University’ and Marie’s career as a social care worker in the disability sector prompted her to delve deeper in this area.

“I find my work deeply rewarding. It allows me to make a valuable difference in people’s lives, ing individuals to overcome challenges and enhance their quality of life,” she said.

“In my role, I encounter adversity and trauma daily. This exposure sparked my interest in trauma-sensitive practices, not only for those in social care but also in a university setting, especially around ways to mitigate trauma’s impact.

“Currently, Ireland has no officially designated trauma-sensitive universities, although Cork city has pledged to become the first trauma-sensitive city in the country. This research could therefore benefit not only MTU but also other universities and Cork city,” said Marie.

For her research, the Cork woman conducted interviews with 20 staff from diverse roles across MTU’s six campuses.

“My research recommends that MTU (and all education institutions) offer trauma-informed training for all staff, helping them develop the skills to respond to students with comion and understanding,” said Marie.

“Given this research is among the first of its kind in an Irish context, I intend to share my work through presentations at various conferences, paving the way for future researchers to build upon it,” she said.

For now, Marie plans to continue her career as a social care worker, a field she is truly ionate about.

“Alongside this, I’ve developed a strong interest in lecturing and have had the rewarding opportunity to teach with the MTU Access Office, an experience I thoroughly enjoyed. While I’m still considering my next academic steps, the possibility of pursuing a PhD remains on the horizon - who knows what the future might hold! I am grateful for the opportunity to study and research at MTU!”

Transitioning to independence

Kate Cooley spent 17 years in the foster care system, and accessing third-level education when she turned 18 was not an option for her at that time.

“It is not something I could have envisaged for my future when I was a child either, but I always knew I wanted to make something out of my life experiences,” she said.

With that in mind, as part of a masters in the Department of Applied Social Studies, in MTU, she undertook research titled ‘The transition to independence for care-experienced people’.

She graduated in November, and her findings have already been shared with senior managers in Tusla, and Kate is confident they will influence future decisions and policies.

“I am very ionate about the outcomes for care-experienced people, a term used to describe anyone who has lived in foster care, residential care, kinship care, etc,” said Kate.

She conducted 15 in-depth interviews with young people who had care experience and a significant finding was the prevalent emotional challenges faced by them, including feelings of profound loneliness, uncertainty, fear, anxiety, and worry.

“These emotional hurdles highlight the abrupt and challenging nature of this significant transition, often referred to as the ‘carecliff’, where care-experienced individuals confront a sudden leap into an uncertain and unpredictable future, particularly distressing for those lacking adequate social and relational ,” she said.

Interviewees also faced significant hurdles within the education system, with care-experienced individuals often encountering obstacles accessing further and higher education.

“The research also highlights the importance of forging meaningful relationships in adulthood and overcoming past traumas. It emphasises the necessity for stakeholder commitment to enhancing the quality of care, promoting stability and security, and providing comprehensive relational throughout the transition from care and into adulthood.”

Ultimately, Kate said, her findings confirm to her, that if someone is given the correct , they can unlock their true potential.

“However, the system can be systematically limited for care-experienced people and we need to acknowledge the barriers that exist and work to dismantle them.”

For her masters, Kate worked with Prof. Margaret Linehan and Dr Judith Butler, and she said their guidance and knowledge “were incredible and truly ive of me”.

“The belief they instilled in me has fundamentally changed my life,” she added.