Personality and Sport: An investigation into whether personality traits can predict behaviour in people participating in competitive sport.

Investigating a possible link between personality and behaviour in sport was this studies primary aim. In particular, it investigated whether certain personality traits could predict aggressive behaviour in people who participate in competitive sport. The personality traits used as predictors were mental toughness (MTQ18), fear of failure (PFAI), extroversion and neuroticism (BFI), which were measured against participant’s scores of competitive aggression (CAAS). Results were recorded in a self-reported 71-item questionnaire. The objective of the study was to better inform possible interventions for mental health coaching in sport, to reduce negative behaviour. The sample of 120 participants consisted of a range of genders, ages, sporting ability and sporting types. Although the results showed that mental toughness and fear of failure may be a predictor of aggression, neuroticism and extroversion did not. The results therefore did not strongly support the research hypothesis. Upon further analysis of the results, a strong correlation was shown between mental toughness and other personality variables. It was therefore decided to create a secondary research aim, investigating this relationship. A linear regression analysis was performed, which revealed that mental toughness scores predicted positive extroversion traits (t (118)= 6.11 p < .001) and negative neuroticism traits (t (118)=-8,31 p < .001) within participants. This suggests a possible link between an individual’s mental toughness capability, and how it effects their personality. Further research into this is required, however this study helped to gain insight into possible interventions for psychological coaching, with a focus on mental toughness, to improve athletes behaviour

Mental ill-health among health and social care professionals: an analysis using administrative data

Objective Health and Social Care (HSC) workers are at high risk of job-related stress, burnout and mental ill-health. This study examines differences in self-reported mental health and psychotropic medication uptake across HSC occupational groups. Method Northern Ireland (NI) data linkage study of people working in the Health and Care sector, aged between twenty and sixty-four years, enumerated at the 2011 Northern Ireland Census and living in private households, and their uptake of prescribed psychotropic medications during 2011-2012 (using data derived from routine electronically captured information on prescriptions issued within the NHS and linked at an individual level using a NI-specific Health and Care key identifier). Comparing HSC workers with all those professionals not involved in HSC occupations, we used multinomial logistic regression to examine (a) self-reported chronic mental illness and (b) uptake of psychotropic medication by occupational groups adjusting for age, sex and socio-demographic circumstance. Results When compared against other professionals highest risks for mental health problems (associated with psychotropic prescription uptake) were associated with nursing/midwifery (OR = 1.25: 95{%}CI = 1.17-1.33; OR = 1.84: 1.58-2.15 for females and males respectively), welfare (OR = 1.34: 1.21-1.48; OR = 1.71: 1.44-2.03) and formal caregiving roles (OR = 1.42: 1.31-1.53; OR = 1.70: 1.50-1.91), again for females/males respectively). These higher risk professions record notable increases in psychotropic medication use. Conclusion Working in the Health and Social Care sector, irrespective of gender, may be more stressful than other jobs. Additionally, self-reported mental ill-health and psychotropic medication treatment both appear to be associated with social class inequity

An exploration of the parallel evolution of iridescent structural colour in Heliconius butterflies

Understanding how selection interacts with genetic variation to produce biodiversity is a central theme in evolutionary biology. Many studies have taken advantage of the rich diversity of colouration in animals to tackle this, as colour is both ecologically relevant and a clearly visible phenotype. This has carried over into the ‘omics’ era, with plenty of studies addressing evolutionary questions by examining the genomics of colouration in natural populations. These studies tend to focus on discrete colour variation and pigmentation. However, most phenotypic variation is continuous, and little is known about the genetics of structural colour. Heliconius butterflies display warning colouration that boasts both striking diversity, alongside near-perfect convergence between mimetic species. Repeated evolution of pigment colour patterns is driven by the repeated use of a small set of genes. On the western slopes of the Andes, convergent iridescence has also evolved between the co-mimics Heliconius erato and Heliconius melpomene, which appears to vary continuously. In this thesis I (1) describe clinal variation in iridescence across hybrid zones between iridescent and non-iridescent subspecies of H. erato and H. melpomene and highlight a common selective agent (mimetic warning colouration), yet different migration-selection balance between the species. 2) I demonstrate a striking difference in levels of population structure between the co-mimics across their hybrid zones. However, in both species variation in iridescence is independent of population structure and is maintained by selection despite gene flow. (3) I describe the genetic architecture of iridescence in Heliconius, for the first time, using association mapping. Lack of power to estimate genetic architecture for H. melpomene prevented a thorough between-species comparison. However, I find potential evidence of overlapping genomic regions responsible for variation in iridescence. This thesis lays the groundwork for future research narrowing down the genetic underpinnings of iridescence in this system

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Psychiatric Symptoms Among Older People in England During the COVID‑19 Pandemic: a Latent Class Analysis

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected mental health and social connections. Older people may be disproportionately affected, placing them at increased risk for complex mental ill-health outcomes and quality of life undermined by anxiety and depression. Understanding gender differences in the determinants of anxiety and depression symptoms is crucial to policy and practice. This study aims to examine gender-specific symptom subtypes (and subthreshold symptoms) in an older English population sampled during the COVID period, in relation to their socio-demographic, social, and health circumstances. The sample comprises all individuals aged 50 years or older and included in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing COVID-19 sub-study conducted during June–July 2020. Latent class analysis (LCA) defined indicative sample subgroups of clinically relevant anxiety and depression. Multinomial logistic regression assessed associations between socio-demographic characteristics, health and social care indicators, loneliness, and pre-pandemic mental ill-health. LCA derived three classes of self-reported depression and anxiety: for females (1) comorbid depression and anxiety (19.9% of the sample), (2) depression and subthreshold anxiety (31.6%), and (3) no or low symptoms of depression and anxiety (48.5%), and for males (1) comorbid depression and anxiety (12.8%), (2) subthreshold anxiety and depression (29.6%), and (3) no or low depression and anxiety (57.6%). Multinomial logistic regression analyses indicate that compared to those with low/no mental health symptoms, severity of pandemic-era mental ill-health was positively associated with pre-pandemic mental health levels, worry over finances, having access to essentials, loneliness, and access to health and social care services. Findings support the persistence of comorbidity of both depression and anxiety in the pandemic period. Results may inform government health strategy on interventions to prevent social isolation and mitigate the effects of the pandemic on deteriorating mental health in older people who may be more susceptible

A comparison of the nationally important infection prevention and control documents in NHS England and NHS Scotland

Background: The devolution of health to Scotland in 1999, led for the first time in the NHS to different priorities and success indicators for infection prevention and control (IPC). This project sought to understand, compare and evaluate the national IPC priorities and available indicators of success. Aim: To identify the national infection prevention and control priorities alongside national indicators of success. Methods: Critical analysis of nationally produced documents and publicly available infection related data up to March 2018. Findings: For both NHS Scotland and England the local and national infection prevention and control priorities are evidenced by: a) People being cared for in an IPC safe environment, b) Staff following IPC safe procedures and c) organisations continuously striving not just to attain standards, but to improve on them. If national agencies that produce data were also charged with using a Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) model, then there would be further opportunities to detect and improve on successes