Growing Up in Ireland (GUI) annual research conference 2023

The Growing Up in Ireland (GUI) annual research conference took place yesterday (November 8th, 2023) at the Gibson Hotel, Dublin. The event was attended by over 200 delegates from a wide range of research, practice and policy backgrounds, all focused on the improvement of the lives and well-being of children in Ireland. The conference acts as an important forum for sharing new research based on the GUI datasets; there were 24 research presentations, along with addresses from Minister Roderic O’Gorman, Secretary General Kevin McCarthy (DCEDIY) and keynote speaker Professor Morag Treanor.

This was the 15th annual conference for GUI. However, it represented the first conference under the revised management structure of the study, which (as of January 2023) sees the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) and the Central Statistics Office sharing responsibility for managing the study.†

The event was opened by DCEDIY Assistant Secretary Laura McGarrigle. She introduced Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman, who spoke positively of the continued benefits of the study and associated data. He noted that Growing Up in Ireland has “informed policy making across Government on issues as diverse as housing adequacy, access to arts for young children, the effects of the pandemic restrictions on young adults and the impact of screen time on the psycho-social development of children”. The Minister also took the opportunity to thank the study’s participant children, young people and their families, and acknowledge that their continued contribution to the study “will ultimately make a positive difference to the lives of children, young people and families like their own”.

A fascinating keynote address was delivered by Professor Morag Treanor from the University of Glasgow. Citing evidence from Scotland’s national longitudinal study, Growing Up in Scotland, Professor Treanor discussed the longitudinal trajectories and interconnectedness of poverty, work intensity, child and parental mental health issues. Professor Treanor was introduced by DCEDIY Secretary General Kevin McCarthy, who noted that “ending child poverty is a top priority for the Government, so it is with a very keen ear and real purpose we listen to Professor Treanor’s research findings on the importance of emphasising the need for a contextualised whole-family approach to poverty and to mental health.”

In total, there were 24 research presentation using GUI data across the day’s programme; these presentations explored a wide range of topics including volunteering, self-harm, bullying, gambling, the impact of the pandemic, lone parent benefit reform, pregnancy complications, educational transition and childhood and adolescent mental health issues. The breadth and diversity of the presentations highlight the value of the data stemming from GUI’s two cohorts. This is soon to be supplemented by a third birth cohort, with data collection beginning at age 9 months in 2024. A pilot survey for the new cohort has commenced and marks the first time new children have been recruited to the Study since 2008.

Two awards were presented at the event. Niamh Dooley, a PhD graduate from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, was awarded best presentation with a public policy focus. Using data from Growing Up in Ireland, she discussed what young adulthood looks like for those who suffered significantly with their mental health in childhood. Emma Butler, a PhD candidate at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, was awarded the best presentation from an early career researcher; she gave a presentation examining the relationship between cumulative pregnancy complications and offspring’s mental health in middle childhood.

Slides for all presentations on the day will be made available on the Growing Up in Ireland website in the coming days.

†Prior to January 2023, the study was carried out by a consortium of researchers led by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) and Trinity College Dublin (TCD). The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth was the sponsor.