Dr Branagh O' Shaughnessy

Teaching

• Module leader for PSY6002M Clinical Psychology
• Contributor PSY8111M Research Methods for Counselling Psychology
• Contributor PSY7001M Psychological Research Methods
• Supervisor PSY6001M Research Paper (Dissertation)

Research

In 2022, I was awarded the Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellowship (Irish Research Council) for my project: 'The Complex Recovery Experiences of Homeless Service Users with Substance Use Disorders: A Qualitative Longitudinal Examination' (GOIPD/2022/475).

In 2018, I was awarded the Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship (Irish Research Council), for my dissertation project: 'Homeless Service Users’ Experiences of Empowerment and Actualisation in Homelessness Service Settings' (GOIPG/2018/152).

Professional activities

2024: Consultant ‘Host Country Expert’ for European Commission-funded peer review report on the delivery of Housing First in Ireland, The Housing Agency, Government of Ireland.

2023: Expert on homelessness for the ‘Now You Know’ docu-series pilot, and participant in ‘Fresh Perspectives’ episode, produced by Gorm Media,  Dublin, Ireland.

2021-2022: Research Assistant for National Housing First Implementation Evaluation, University of Limerick, Ireland.

2016-2017: Research Analyst, Neurogenetics Dept., Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON Canada.

Publications

Peer-reviewed publications

O’Shaughnessy, B. R., Mayock, P., & Kakar, A. (2024). The Recovery Experiences of Homeless Service Users with Substance Use Disorder: A Systematic Review and Qualitative Meta-Synthesis. International Journal of Drug Policy, 130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104528

O’Connor, S., O’Hagan, A. D., Firnhaber, J., O’Shaughnessy, B. R., McNamara, J., Breslin, G., ... & Malone, S. M. (2024). Sowing seeds of awareness: a cross-sectional analysis of mental health literacy and help-seeking in Irish farmers. Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology, 19(1), 47. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12995-024-00446-1

Greenwood, R. M., O’Shaughnessy, B. R., Manning, R. M., Hogan, N., Vargas-Moniz, M. J. & Ornelas, J. (2023). Distal Supports, Capabilities, and Growth-focused Recovery A Comparison of Housing First and the Staircase Continuum of Care. American Journal of Community Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.12733

Kerman, N., Kidd, S. A., Voronov, J., Marshall, C. A., O’Shaughnessy, B. R., Abramovich, A., & Stergiopoulos, V. (2023). Victimization, Safety, and Overdose in Homeless Shelters: A Systematic Review and Narrative Synthesis. Health & Place, 83, 103092. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2023.103092

Firnhaber, J., O’Connor, S., Malone, S., O’Shaughnessy, B. R., O’Hagen, A. D., & McNamara, J. (2023). Disordered Alcohol and Substance Use in Irish Farmers: A Cross-Sectional Survey. The Journal of Rural Health. http://doi.org/10.1111/jrh.12783

O’Connor, S., O’Hagen, A. D., Malone, S., O’Shaughnessy, B. R., McNamara, J. G., & Firnhaber, J. (2023). The Prevalence of Sleep Issues and Burnout in Irish Farmers: A Cross Sectional Survey. Safety Science, 171. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2023.106377

Greenwood, R. M., O’Shaughnessy, B. R., Vargas-Moniz, M. J., Sacchetto, B., & Ornelas, J. (2023). Psychometric Properties of the Measure of Achieved Capabilities in Homeless Services. BMC Public Health, 23:93. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-14755-9

O’Shaughnessy, B. R., O’Hagen, A. D., Burke, A., McNamara, J. G., & O’Connor, S. (2022). The Prevalence of Farmer Burnout: Systematic Review and Narrative Synthesis. Journal of Rural Studies. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2022.11.002

O’Shaughnessy, B. R. & Greenwood, R. M. (2021). Autonomy and Authority: Homeless Service Users’ Empowering Experiences in Housing First and Staircase Services. Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology, 31(3), 288-304. https://doi.org/10.1002/casp.2511

O’Shaughnessy, B. R., & Greenwood, R. (2020). Empowering Features and Outcomes of Homeless Interventions: A Systematic Review and Narrative Synthesis. American Journal of Community Psychology, 66, 144-165. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.12422

O’Shaughnessy, B. R., Manning, R., Greenwood, R., Vargas-Moniz, M., Loubiere, S., Spinnewijn, F., …& HOME_EU study group consortium (2020). Home as a Base for a Well-Lived Life: Comparing the Capabilities of Housing First and Traditional Homeless Services Users in Europe. Housing Theory & Society, 38(3), 343-364. https://doi.org/10.1080/14036096.2020.1762725

Greenwood, R., Manning, R., & O’Shaughnessy, B. R., Vargas-Moniz, M., Loubiere, S., Spinnewijn, F., …& HOME_EU study group consortium (2021). Structure and agency in capabilities-enhancing homeless services: Housing First, housing quality, and consumer choice. Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology, 32(2), 315-331. https://doi.org/10.1002/casp.2577

Greenwood, R. M., Manning, R. M., & O’Shaughnessy, B. R. (2020). Homeless services users’ reports of problem-related alcohol and illicit substance use in eight European countries. European Journal of Homelessness, 14(4), 63-89. https://www.feantsa.org/public/user/Observatory/2021/EJH_14-4/EJH_14-4_A3_v04.pdf

Greenwood, R., Manning, R., O’Shaughnessy, B., Vargas-Moniz, M., Loubiere, S., Spinnewijn, F., …& HOME_EU study group consortium (2020). Homeless Adults’ Recovery Experiences in Housing First and Traditional Services Programs in Seven European Countries. American Journal of Community Psychology, 65, 353-368. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.12404

Greenwood, R., Manning, R., O’Shaughnessy, B., Cross, O., Vargas-Moniz, M., Auquier, P. …& HOME_EU study group consortium (2019). The Home-EU Service Users’ Study Protocol: A Comparison of Housing First and Traditional Homeless Service Users in Eight European Countries. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 9(2), e14584. https://doi.org/10.2196/14584

Gaboardi, M., Lenzi, M., Disperati, F., Santinello, M., Vieno, A., Tinland, A., Vargas-Moniz, M. J., Spinnewijn, F., O’Shaughnessy, B., …& HOME_EU study consortium group (2019). Goals and principles of providers working with people experiencing homelessness: a comparison between Housing First and Traditional Staircase services in eight European countries. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16, 1590-1607. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16091590.

Loubière, S., Taylor, O., Tinland, A., Vargas-Moniz, M., O'Shaughnessy, B., Bokszczanin, A., ... & Loundou, A. (2020). Europeans’ willingness to pay for ending homelessness: A contingent valuation study. Social Science & Medicine, 247, 112802. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.112802

Government commissioned/evaluation reports

O’Shaughnessy, B. (2024). Housing First Ireland: A Collective Commitment in Policy and Practice. Peer Review on Implementation of Housing First approach to tackle long term homelessness of people with complex needs. European Commission.

O’Shaughnessy. B., O’Hagan, A. D., & O’Connor, S. (2022). Review of the Literature on Farmers' Mental Health: A Report. Department of Agriculture, Food & Marine.

Greenwood, R. M., Byrne, S., & O’Shaughnessy, B. R. & NHFE Team (2022). National Housing First Implementation Evaluation Findings. Housing First Implementation Committee.

Book chapters

Mayock, P. & O’Shaughnessy, B. R. (2023). Homelessness and Substance Use. In N. Pleace & J. Bretherton (Eds.), The Routledge Handbook of Homelessness. Oxfordshire: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351113113-25

Greenwood, R., Manning, R., & O’Shaughnessy, B. (2021). Reversing the Unfairness of Homelessness: An Examination of Service Users’ Experiences of Housing First and Traditional Services in Eight European Countries. In J. Ornelas, & M. J. Vargas-Moniz (Eds.) & the HOME_EU consortium study Group. Homelessness as Unfairness. http://loja.ispa.pt/produto/homelessness-unfairness

Conferences

Conference proceedings

O’Shaughnessy, B., Greenwood, R. M., & Manning, R. (2019). Capabilities Approach to Homeless Service Provision: Housing First & Traditional Services Users in Europe. In M. Vargas-Moniz, & J. Ornelas (Eds.), Housing First to End Homelessness in Europe: Conference Proceedings, Madrid, Spain. 

Greenwood, R. M., Manning, R., & O’Shaughnessy, B. (2018). Homeless services users’ experiences of housing and recovery: Preliminary findings from eight European countries. In M. Vargas-Moniz, J. Ornelas, & F. Jorge-Monteiro (Eds.), Homelessness as Unfairness: An Ecological Perspective Seminar Proceedings, Padua, Italy

Invited Talks

2025    Service User Accounts of Pursuing Recovery in Housing First. International Webinar Series on Housing First: Overdose Prevention and Recovery Support in Housing First Settings, Canadian Housing First Network, the Housing First Europe Hub, and the Evidence Exchange Network at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, online (March).

2024    Breaking out of the System & Healing Adverse Histories: Complex Recovery of Homeless Adults with Substance Use Issues. Seminar in Trauma Informed Practice, Novas Initiatives, Gardens International, Limerick, Ireland (October).

2022    Housing First: Europe’s Capabilities-Enhancing Homeless Service Model. European Community Psychology Association (ECPA) Webinar Series, online (June).

2021    Homeless services that support empowerment and self-actualisation: a qualitative comparison of service users’ experiences in Housing First and Staircase services. Dept. of Psychology Seminar Series, University of Limerick, Ireland (March).  

Conference presentations

2024    HF IRE: Targeted response for adults with complex needs & histories of long-term homelessness. Peer Review on ‘Successes and learnings from National Housing First Programme (Ireland) to reduce long term homelessness for people with complex needs, Dept. of Health, Dublin, Ireland (October). 

2024    Recovery from Homelessness & Substance Use Disorder: A Qualitative Examination. 18th European Research Conference on Homelessness, Central European University, Budapest, Hungary (September).

2023    The ‘Fertile Functioning’ of Housing First Programmes in Europe: Homelessness Service Users’ Accounts of their Central Capabilities. Society for Community Research and Action Biennial Conference, Morehouse College, Atlanta GA, U.S.A (June).

2021    Housing First in Ireland: Service Users’ Empowerment and Personal Freedoms. European Federation of Psychology Students’ Associations Conference, Oporto, Portugal (November).

2021    Homeless Services & Service Users’ Empowerment & Self-actualization: A Qualitative Examination. APA Annual Convention, virtual poster presentation (August).

2021    Empowering and Capability-Enhancing Homeless Services: A Qualitative Examination. 18th Biennial Conference of the Society for Community Research and Action, e-talk (June).

2021    A Qualitative Examination of Empowering and Actualising Homeless Services Settings. 11th European Conference on Community Psychology, e-talk (June).

2019     A Capabilities Approach to Homeless Service Provision: Housing First & Traditional Services Users in Europe. Oral presentation at the Conference on Housing First to End Homelessness in Europe, CaixaForum, Madrid, Spain (June).

2019    Effective Empowering Homeless Interventions: A Systematic Review and Narrative Synthesis. Poster presentation at the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues Conference, San Diego, California, USA (June).

2018    Empowering Homeless Services Settings: A Systematic Review. Oral presentation at the 4th (BPS) Community Psychology Festival, University of Hertfordshire, UK, (September). 

2018    How to Write a Winning IRC Application. Workshop presentation at the IRC Postgraduate Scholarship Information session, Faculty of Education & Health Sciences, UL (September)

2018    HOME_EU Work Package 3: Overview of Service Users’ Survey. Oral presentation at the 3rd International Housing First Conference, University of Padua, Italy (June).

2011    Monitoring the Future of Homelessness in Ireland: Preliminary Results. Poster presented at the 2nd annual Conference for Social Psychology in Ireland, University of Limerick, Ireland (April).