Experiences of individuals within families where two or more members have a life-limiting or chronic condition
Principal Supervisor: Associate Professor Susan Mlcek
Co Supervisor: Associate Professor Heather Boetto
Co Supervisor: Dr John Healy
While there is a great deal of information and support for a single family member when experiencing life-limiting or chronic illness, there is little known of families with multiple sufferers of these conditions. My research explores the experiences of families where two or more members have chronic or life-limiting conditions. Considering my own lived experience (multiple members of my family have a life-limiting condition), I am using a hermeneutic phenomenological study to explore the subjective experiences of family member participants. Aligning with the type of study being undertaken and the social elements of illness, a conceptual framework has been designed to incorporate the social model of disability; disability discourse; hermeneutic phenomenology, and the person-centered approach.
The significance of the research is to increase knowledge of experiences of such families; provide guidance from a client focused perspective for policy makers in the social work field; create tools for practice and increase knowledge for social workers, as well as allied health professionals working with relevant individuals and their families, and develop resources for those families at the point of diagnosis and beyond.
I wanted a university with a good research background that could offer me the appropriate supports for my topic. This is a personal topic for me and my family and as a result I was very keen to know that my research would be taken seriously and dissemination would be encouraged. This has definitely been the case and I have spoken on the radio, various blogs and podcasts, conferences (including multiple DocFest conferences) and a multitude of other areas of impact.
I am a Member of the University Research Committee as well as a Member of the Post Graduate Student Association, where I am the Editor of the PGSA Newsletter.
Cass, D, (2024, 17-19 April). Graduate resources: Worth every minute? [Conference presentation]. Quality in Post Graduate Research Conference, Adelaide.
Cass, D. (2023, 7 August). Multiple individuals in families with chronic and life-limiting illnesses [Conference poster]. National Allied Health Conference, Perth and online.
Cass, D. (2023, 24 May). Imposter Syndrome: Can we do more? [Conference poster]. DocFest23 CSU Graduate Research Conference, online.
Cass, D. (2023, 26 January). Value of lived experience [Conference presentation]. World Conference on Qualitative Research, Portugal and online.
Cass, D. (2022, 7 December). Finding light in unimaginable darkness [Conference presentation]. Stories from the Crevice Communities Symposium, online.
Cass, D. (2022, 2 November). The need for development of resources to support families where two or more members have been diagnosed with a life-limiting or chronic illness [Conference presentation]. CSU HDR Faculty of Arts and Education Colloquium, Wagga Wagga.
Cass, D. (2022, 6 September). Experiences of families where two or more members have a life-limiting or chronic illness [Conference presentation]. 23rd International Mental Health Conference, Queensland.
Cass, D. (2022, 23-27 May). Experiences of families where two or more members have life-limiting/chronic illness – qualitative research [Conference poster]. DocFest22 CSU Graduate Research Conference, online.
Cass, D. (2022, 23-27 May). Experiences of families with multiple diagnoses [Conference presentation]. DocFest22 CSU Graduate Research Conference, online.
Cass, D. (2021, 28 May). Coping mechanisms for families with multiple life-limiting/chronic diagnoses [Conference presentation]. DocFest21 CSU Graduate Research Conference, online.
Cass, D. (2018, 6 September). The meaning of job title for social workers in the mental health field [Conference poster]. 9th Annual Health Social Work Research Symposium, Melbourne.