Alex Hassett
Biographic Data
| ID | 1148208 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Alex Hassett |
| GIVEN NAMES | Alex |
| FAMILY NAME | Hassett |
| SIGNATURE | HASSETT A |
| AFFILIATIONS | Canterbury Christ Church University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-9905-1056 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 12 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 33 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 12 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2017 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
An exploration of the experience of foster carers in holding the life stories of the children in their care
Children who have experienced trauma require emotionally responsive parenting to support them to make sense of their early stories and build healthy relationships. Foster care can be an important resource for these children, but the task can be challenging. This study uses Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to explore the lived experiences of foster carers in holding the stories of trauma and loss brought by the children in their care. Ten …
‘ Holding onto trauma? ’ The prevalence and predictors of PTSD, anxiety and depression in police officers working with child abuse, rape and sexual exploitation victims
Research into post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other common mental disorders (CMDs) in police officers is limited, with the majority of research predominately conducted outside the UK, and no study quantitatively examining the role of social support in relation to the mental health of UK police officers working with victims of trauma. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the prevalence and predictors of PTSD and CMD in UK police office…
‘It’s why you get up in the morning’ . A Straussian grounded theory study of coping in police officers who investigate rape and child abuse
Policing by its very nature has been widely recognised as being inherently stressful with little that can be done to prevent police officers’ exposure to both primary and secondary trauma. Officers involved in the investigation of child abuse and sexual offences have been further recognised as working in some of the most stressful and demanding roles in policing. However, there has been little research within this high-risk group of officers whic…
‘Getting on with the job’
The aim of this review is to identify and critically examine existing research relating to secondary trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) within UK police officers. A systematised literature review was conducted which identified 20 studies in police officers from Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland. These studies comprised of terrorist incidents, mass disasters, general policing duties and officers working in rape and child …
Foster caring as ‘professional parenting’
Whilst it has been suggested that fostering involves being both a parent and a professional, little is known about how foster carers manage these roles. This study aimed to develop an explanatory theory and model of the processes involved in fostering looked after children and the relationship between the roles of parent and professional. Ten foster carers offering intended long-term placements to looked after children and five social care profes…
He’s Still There”
This study explored the processes involved when the bereaved use Facebook to continue bonds with the deceased. Grounded theory was used to analyze Facebook pages and interviews with bereaved Facebook users. Individual attempts at connection, such as posting about the deceased person, were bolstered by others witnessing and replying to the posts. Collective reminiscence occurred through the sharing of memories about the deceased, which sometimes l…
What do we know about the impact of stress on foster carers and contributing factors
Research has highlighted the many challenges that foster carers face in caring for children who have experienced adversity and has charted a growing mismatch between the numbers of children needing placements and the availability of carers. This review synthesises and evaluates the current empirical evidence on the causes and consequences of stress experienced by foster carers and the factors that lessen or increase it. PsychINFO, ASSIA, Web of S…
They needed the attention more than I did’
Research has highlighted the potential tensions and risk of disruption to care placements when foster carers have birth children living at home. Given the limited research attention given to these young people and the importance of retaining carers, it seems important for policy and practice to investigate the parent–child relationship in this context. Therefore, this study seeks to explore how the birth children of foster carers experience their…
Parental Involvement
There is a high prevalence of mental health problems within adolescent populations, but they are unlikely to seek help. Adults, including parents, are important within this help-seeking process. The study, therefore, is aimed to develop a theory of the influence of parents upon adolescent help seeking. Eighteen semistructured interviews were conducted with adolescents, their parents, and clinicians working within child and adolescent mental healt…
Young Men's Experiences of Accessing and Receiving Help From Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Following Self-Harm
Given the high rates of completed suicide and poor help-seeking among young men, this research explored how young men, who had successfully sought help from a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), experienced help-seeking. The study focused on the factors that facilitated initial access and ongoing engagement in services. Eight young men between the ages of 16 to 18, who had entered CAMHS following self-harm or suicidal ideation, an…
"Who am I?" How Female Care Leavers Construct and Make Sense of Their Identity
Identity formation may be more complex for those who have been in foster care in the face of childhood abuse, difficult relationships, unstable environments, and multiple care contexts but this does not imply there is anything pathological about it. Given the higher levels of mental health difficulties in looked after children and the known role identity has in mental health, whether as a risk or a protective factor, it seems clinically significa…
Experiences of Engaging With Mental Health Services in 16- to 18-Year-Olds
Despite older adolescence being a risk period for the development of mental health concerns, mental health service engagement is low among 16- to 18-year-olds. As therapeutic attendance is linked to clinical outcome, it is important to understand engagement in this population. There is a paucity of research looking specifically at the older adolescent engagement phenomenon. Previous qualitative research into adolescent experiences has provided ri…
What do we know about the impact of stress on foster carers and contributing factors
Research has highlighted the many challenges that foster carers face in caring for children who have experienced adversity and has charted a growing mismatch between the numbers of children needing placements and the availability of carers. This review synthesises and evaluates the current empirical evidence on the causes and consequences of stress experienced by foster carers and the factors that lessen or increase it. PsychINFO, ASSIA, Web of S…
Foster caring as ‘professional parenting’
Whilst it has been suggested that fostering involves being both a parent and a professional, little is known about how foster carers manage these roles. This study aimed to develop an explanatory theory and model of the processes involved in fostering looked after children and the relationship between the roles of parent and professional. Ten foster carers offering intended long-term placements to looked after children and five social care profes…
"Who am I?" How Female Care Leavers Construct and Make Sense of Their Identity
Identity formation may be more complex for those who have been in foster care in the face of childhood abuse, difficult relationships, unstable environments, and multiple care contexts but this does not imply there is anything pathological about it. Given the higher levels of mental health difficulties in looked after children and the known role identity has in mental health, whether as a risk or a protective factor, it seems clinically significa…
Parental Involvement
There is a high prevalence of mental health problems within adolescent populations, but they are unlikely to seek help. Adults, including parents, are important within this help-seeking process. The study, therefore, is aimed to develop a theory of the influence of parents upon adolescent help seeking. Eighteen semistructured interviews were conducted with adolescents, their parents, and clinicians working within child and adolescent mental healt…
Experiences of Engaging With Mental Health Services in 16- to 18-Year-Olds
Despite older adolescence being a risk period for the development of mental health concerns, mental health service engagement is low among 16- to 18-year-olds. As therapeutic attendance is linked to clinical outcome, it is important to understand engagement in this population. There is a paucity of research looking specifically at the older adolescent engagement phenomenon. Previous qualitative research into adolescent experiences has provided ri…
They needed the attention more than I did’
Research has highlighted the potential tensions and risk of disruption to care placements when foster carers have birth children living at home. Given the limited research attention given to these young people and the importance of retaining carers, it seems important for policy and practice to investigate the parent–child relationship in this context. Therefore, this study seeks to explore how the birth children of foster carers experience their…
Young Men's Experiences of Accessing and Receiving Help From Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Following Self-Harm
Given the high rates of completed suicide and poor help-seeking among young men, this research explored how young men, who had successfully sought help from a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), experienced help-seeking. The study focused on the factors that facilitated initial access and ongoing engagement in services. Eight young men between the ages of 16 to 18, who had entered CAMHS following self-harm or suicidal ideation, an…
Young Men's Experiences of Accessing and Receiving Help From Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Following Self-Harm
Given the high rates of completed suicide and poor help-seeking among young men, this research explored how young men, who had successfully sought help from a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), experienced help-seeking. The study focused on the factors that facilitated initial access and ongoing engagement in services. Eight young men between the ages of 16 to 18, who had entered CAMHS following self-harm or suicidal ideation, an…
"Who am I?" How Female Care Leavers Construct and Make Sense of Their Identity
Identity formation may be more complex for those who have been in foster care in the face of childhood abuse, difficult relationships, unstable environments, and multiple care contexts but this does not imply there is anything pathological about it. Given the higher levels of mental health difficulties in looked after children and the known role identity has in mental health, whether as a risk or a protective factor, it seems clinically significa…
Experiences of Engaging With Mental Health Services in 16- to 18-Year-Olds
Despite older adolescence being a risk period for the development of mental health concerns, mental health service engagement is low among 16- to 18-year-olds. As therapeutic attendance is linked to clinical outcome, it is important to understand engagement in this population. There is a paucity of research looking specifically at the older adolescent engagement phenomenon. Previous qualitative research into adolescent experiences has provided ri…
What do we know about the impact of stress on foster carers and contributing factors
Research has highlighted the many challenges that foster carers face in caring for children who have experienced adversity and has charted a growing mismatch between the numbers of children needing placements and the availability of carers. This review synthesises and evaluates the current empirical evidence on the causes and consequences of stress experienced by foster carers and the factors that lessen or increase it. PsychINFO, ASSIA, Web of S…
They needed the attention more than I did’
Research has highlighted the potential tensions and risk of disruption to care placements when foster carers have birth children living at home. Given the limited research attention given to these young people and the importance of retaining carers, it seems important for policy and practice to investigate the parent–child relationship in this context. Therefore, this study seeks to explore how the birth children of foster carers experience their…
Parental Involvement
There is a high prevalence of mental health problems within adolescent populations, but they are unlikely to seek help. Adults, including parents, are important within this help-seeking process. The study, therefore, is aimed to develop a theory of the influence of parents upon adolescent help seeking. Eighteen semistructured interviews were conducted with adolescents, their parents, and clinicians working within child and adolescent mental healt…
He’s Still There”
This study explored the processes involved when the bereaved use Facebook to continue bonds with the deceased. Grounded theory was used to analyze Facebook pages and interviews with bereaved Facebook users. Individual attempts at connection, such as posting about the deceased person, were bolstered by others witnessing and replying to the posts. Collective reminiscence occurred through the sharing of memories about the deceased, which sometimes l…
‘Getting on with the job’
The aim of this review is to identify and critically examine existing research relating to secondary trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) within UK police officers. A systematised literature review was conducted which identified 20 studies in police officers from Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland. These studies comprised of terrorist incidents, mass disasters, general policing duties and officers working in rape and child …
Foster caring as ‘professional parenting’
Whilst it has been suggested that fostering involves being both a parent and a professional, little is known about how foster carers manage these roles. This study aimed to develop an explanatory theory and model of the processes involved in fostering looked after children and the relationship between the roles of parent and professional. Ten foster carers offering intended long-term placements to looked after children and five social care profes…
‘ Holding onto trauma? ’ The prevalence and predictors of PTSD, anxiety and depression in police officers working with child abuse, rape and sexual exploitation victims
Research into post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other common mental disorders (CMDs) in police officers is limited, with the majority of research predominately conducted outside the UK, and no study quantitatively examining the role of social support in relation to the mental health of UK police officers working with victims of trauma. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the prevalence and predictors of PTSD and CMD in UK police office…
‘It’s why you get up in the morning’ . A Straussian grounded theory study of coping in police officers who investigate rape and child abuse
Policing by its very nature has been widely recognised as being inherently stressful with little that can be done to prevent police officers’ exposure to both primary and secondary trauma. Officers involved in the investigation of child abuse and sexual offences have been further recognised as working in some of the most stressful and demanding roles in policing. However, there has been little research within this high-risk group of officers whic…
An exploration of the experience of foster carers in holding the life stories of the children in their care
Children who have experienced trauma require emotionally responsive parenting to support them to make sense of their early stories and build healthy relationships. Foster care can be an important resource for these children, but the task can be challenging. This study uses Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to explore the lived experiences of foster carers in holding the stories of trauma and loss brought by the children in their care. Ten …
Psychology (12 works) · Qualitative research (9 works) · Social Psychology (9 works) · Developmental psychology (7 works) · Medicine (7 works) · Sociology (7 works) · Child Abuse and Trauma (6 works) · Child Welfare and Adoption (5 works) · Clinical Psychology (5 works) · Interpretative phenomenological analysis (5 works)