Dr Mhairi Thurston

Interests

The Social and Emotional Effects of Sight loss

Nearly 2,000,000 people in the UK are blind or partially sighted and, with an ageing demographic, the prevalence of acquired sight loss is rising. There is growing recognition of the need to provide accessible healthcare and emotional support services for blind and partially sighted people. My research at Abertay University contributes to this objective.

In 2009, I won the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy New Researcher prize for my work on the emotional impact of sight loss.  This study investigated the impact of acquired sight loss in four core areas (mood, self-concept, social connectedness and loss). The work indicated that participants experienced reduced mental health and decreased social functioning as a result of sight loss. It also showed that participants shared common socio-emotional issues during transition from sight to blindness, relating to diagnosis, coping with deterioration of sight, experiencing loss, experiencing changed perceptions of self in relation to society, experiencing others in a changed way and experiencing rehabilitation. I designed a model to illustrate the transition people make when they acquire sight loss.

I further examined this issue (Thurston, 2010) and considered the need for psychological support amongst individuals in this position. I reported negative perceptions of counselling among participants and a lack of counselling opportunities in relation to their sight loss. In a discussion of the implications of this work I noted the need for counselling after diagnosis of visual impairment, and the specific challenges facing those who deliver counselling to visually impaired clients. I presented the findings of this work at a conference, attended by the Health Minister for Scotland, as part of a successful campaign to secure funding for the expansion of R.N.I.B. (Scotland) Eye Clinic Liaison Services throughout Scotland.

In 2010, I undertook contract research work for Royal National Institute of Blind People Scotland (RNIB Scotland). The work identified major deficits in access to health information for blind and partially sighted persons in Scotland (Thurston & Thurston, 2010) and highlighted an intrinsic threat to patient confidentiality for blind and partially sighted people.

I was invited to give evidence to the Scottish Parliament Health and Sport Committee, in conjunction with Royal National Institute for the Deaf, considering the Patient Rights (Scotland) Act 2011. As a result of the evidence that was presented, the Patient Rights (Scotland) Act 2011 includes specific reference to the requirement that health information is provided in an accessible format. My work on accessible health information for blind and partially sighted people was reported by the BBC news and was given national press coverage.  Following this, I provided consultative advice to RNIB Scotland as they advised Greater Glasgow Health Board on  a new policy for providing accessible health services to blind and partially sighted persons. In March 2012, I presented my work on Accessible Health Information to Government Ministers and Senior Managers from NHS Trusts throughout Scotland at the Scottish Vision Strategy Conference 2012. In 2013 I presented the findings of this work to Government Ministers and Senior Managers from NHS Trusts throughout Scotland at the Scottish Vision Strategy Conference. I also chaired the Emotional Support strand at the UK Vision Strategy conference in London 2014 and was invited to talk about my research at the Vision UK 2015 conference.

In order to improve emotional support services for blind and partially sighted people in the UK, the nature and extent of existing service provision needed to be understood. To this end I was involved in design of a scoping survey (Pybis et al, 2016). This national survey found that there was a deficit of specialist counselling services for blind and partially sighted people in UK. It also identified the need for  quality standards in training and service delivery.

Through my research, I developed counselling interventions for people with sight loss by examining client defined helpful aspects of therapy through systematic case study research. My doctoral thesis centred upon developing and delivering effective emotional support and counselling for adults with sight loss in the United Kingdom. Most recently I have collaborated with RNIB and VISION UK  to develop an accreditation package for counsellors who want to work with clients who have sight loss. This aligns with the university's strategic intent of using knowledge and expertise to solve real-world problems.

I continue to attempt to influence government policy and health practice. I am a member of the Scottish Government's Cross Party Advisory Group on Vision Impairment and Iwas a member of the Scottish Vision Strategy Advisory Group. I was the Chair of Vision 2020UK Counselling and Emotional Support Services Group (CESS)from 2010-2017. CESS was one of the standing committees of Vision 2020UK and provided strategic national direction in the field of the delivery of emotional support for blind and partially sighted people. The steering committee consisted of heads of services and key figures from the four nations and had a membership of around 230 stakeholders. I am a member of the Sight Loss Mental Health Committee and a Partnership Board member for the Need to Talk project (Interreg funded collaboration between RNIB and Fighting Blindness). More recently I have been appointed to the Lay Advisory Group for the Royal College of Ophthalmologists.

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