Dr Andriani Papageorgiou
Academic and research departments
Clinical Intervention and Practice Research Group, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences.About
My research project
Development of an intervention to provide emotional and behavioural support to children living with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and their parentsDuchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is a rare X-linked progressive muscle-wasting disorder that has been associated with not only skeletal and cardiac dysfunction, but also with a complex neuropsychiatric phenotype, with half the population experiencing mental health difficulties.
The current literature has been mainly focusing on the involvement of dystrophin in muscles and the motor-related associations of this disorder. Several studies have documented that 25% of the DMD population have intellectual disability, with recent studies suggesting that autism and clinically relevant hyperactivity affects 20% and 25% of DMD boys respectively. Even though these emotional and behavioural difficulties have been highlighted, there is currently no psychological support in place for children living with DMD or for their parents.
The aim of this project is to develop an intervention for behavioural management based on the input collected by children with DMD and their parents. This will equip children with tools so that they can be more engaged with their own psychological care, enabling them to self-regulate and be more independent. Families will also be provided with tools on supporting their child's independency as well as methods to explain the behavioural side of DMD to their children, siblings, carers, family members, friends and others.
Supervisors
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is a rare X-linked progressive muscle-wasting disorder that has been associated with not only skeletal and cardiac dysfunction, but also with a complex neuropsychiatric phenotype, with half the population experiencing mental health difficulties.
The current literature has been mainly focusing on the involvement of dystrophin in muscles and the motor-related associations of this disorder. Several studies have documented that 25% of the DMD population have intellectual disability, with recent studies suggesting that autism and clinically relevant hyperactivity affects 20% and 25% of DMD boys respectively. Even though these emotional and behavioural difficulties have been highlighted, there is currently no psychological support in place for children living with DMD or for their parents.
The aim of this project is to develop an intervention for behavioural management based on the input collected by children with DMD and their parents. This will equip children with tools so that they can be more engaged with their own psychological care, enabling them to self-regulate and be more independent. Families will also be provided with tools on supporting their child's independency as well as methods to explain the behavioural side of DMD to their children, siblings, carers, family members, friends and others.