Research Interests

Open to PhD applications in the field of

• Self-harm  - A proposed mixed methods study will appeal to candidates keen to work with a large data set, it utilises data from the Belfast Youth Development Study (BYDS) to advance public health knowledge on self-harm among young people. The Belfast Youth Development Study (BYDS) is a longitudinal cohort study involving over 4000 young people in Northern Ireland – the study spanned ages 11 to 21 years (2001-2011) and included over 40 schools. Over time comprehensive data on substance use, mental health, self-harm, family, schools, neighbourhoods, offending behaviour was Methodology - Phase 1 (quantitative phase) multilevel logistic regression/multilevel models (qualitative phase), the results of the quantitative analysis will be used design an interview schedule which aims to shed light on the nature of the relationship between the predictors and self-harm behaviour.
• Sexual-health  This project aims to focus on sexual activity indicators and how these are shaped by family context , peers , schools , other risky child behaviours and outcomes in late adolescence and early adulthood.  These aims will be achieved via secondary analysis of the Belfast Youth Development Study (BYDS), a longitudinal cohort study of over 4000 young people form Belfast, Ballymena and Downpatrick. BYDS collected seven sweeps of data over a ten year period (2001-2011) spanning ages 11-21 years
• Secondary Trauma - The proposed study will use data from the 2018/19 Belfast Youth Development feasibility study (BYDS) which includes a comprehensive range of measures related to trauma and secondary trauma (n = 360). A subsample of these participants (aged 30 years), including those who previously reported a secondary trauma, will be followed up to allow in depth analysis of trauma transmission. 

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Public outreach & key achievements

• Dr Higgin's work has led to new ways of working with people in this field and how we collect and disseminate
  data for use in building policies and legislation.

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• Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
• School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work 
• https://pure.qub.ac.uk/portal/en/projects/promoting-resilience-in-children-and-young-people-affected-by-parental-substance-misuse-psm-a-feasibility-study-of-the-pharos-group-work-programme(72a2f4c5-2f2f-44a5-b099-17929d8a8961).html