Wolverhampton Intellectual Repository and E-Theses
WIRE is the open access repository for research publications and outputs by researchers based at the University of Wolverhampton.
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Recent Submissions
Item Influence of composition, compaction and wetting drying cycles on the leachates from two hydraulically bound coal mine wastes(Elsevier, 2025-06-19)Coal mine waste (CMW) poses many environmental challenges globally. They are mostly stored in coal tips or utilised as raw materials in low value landscaping applications within the mine site or in local proximity. To widen and valorise its use, there is a growing interest in its inclusion in higher value hydraulically bound construction materials, however, a key limitation currently holding back this potential relates to the very sparse knowledge available about the possible environmental impacts of such materials. To bridge this gap, an experimental programme has been carried out to investigate the impacts of composition, compaction and wetting–drying cycles of hydraulically bound materials employing JANK and DTEK (two CMWs collected from Poland and Ukraine) as aggregates. In particular, the hydraulically bound coal mine wastes (HBCMW) were subjected to two laboratory-simulated wetting–drying cycles to assess the chemistry of the leachates released. The results suggest that higher concentrations of sulphide-bearing minerals in DTEK compared to JANK have caused consistently higher sulphate anion (SO42-) concentrations in the leachates generated by hydraulically bound DTEK. Cementation of CMW particles has also led to elevated Ca concentrations in the leachates, due to interaction with the cement paste used as the binder in the initial mix. In addition, the leachates from the more loosely compacted JANK samples exhibit higher concentrations of most measured analytes, including heavy and transition metals, than the leachates from the more densely compacted JANK samples, possibly due to the former’s higher porosity exposing larger surface areas for leaching. The two laboratory-simulated wetting–drying cycles were found to increase the porosities of all HBCMW samples.Item What are the experiences of the two-year-olds in the emotional environment in early childhood education and care settings that offer funded places?(University of Wolverhampton, 2025)This study sought to explore the emotional environment of two-year-old Early Childhood Education and Care settings that provided funded provision. The extensive literature review drew upon social psychological theories and concepts such as the consciousness of emotions (Damasio, 1999), attachment theory (Kinreich et al., 2017), neuroscience (Tham et al., 2019) and good practice guidelines (Harrison et al., 2022). It was taken from a phenomenological (Sokolowski, 2000) and praxeological (Pascal and Bertram, 2012) methodological approach, deploying various styles of observations, document analysis and manager interviews to measure the emotional environment. The child-centred methodology is used to interpret the voiced beyond the voiced of the child (Spyrou, 2020). The main findings included emotional environments being complex and there was ambiguity within emotion, particularly the framing of love, affection and attachment. Moreover, it reinforced the importance of the emotional connection for children and the way children will seek emotional connection in everyday interactions. It offers original contributions, such as the most common emotional states seen in Early Childhood Education and Care settings and the complexities of these environments. The study made recommendations for practice and offers a free reflexive pack of information that settings can use to examine and reflect on their environments and/or own practices. It also recommended that changes are made to the inspection/quality benchmarks and qualifications framework to allow for practitioners and managers to consider the emotional environment in training, CPD and in quality processes.Item Healing beyond the scars of female genital mutilation (FGM): the experiences of Somali women in England with therapeutic interventions(University of Wolverhampton, 2025)This thesis explores the therapeutic experiences of Somali women in the UK who have undergone Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) or FGM reversal. It focuses on participants' perceptions of psychological interventions and, from these experiences, assesses the cultural competence of therapeutic interventions, addressing a significant gap in the existing literature. By examining how FGM survivors engage with various therapeutic modalities, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), it seeks to evaluate the efficacy of these interventions in addressing FGM-related trauma. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), the study explores the lived experiences of seven participants, identifying superordinate themes related to the psychological impact of FGM, the therapeutic process, and therapist characteristics and exchanges. Integrating Erikson’s Developmental Theory offers insights into how trauma affects individuals at different life stages, with long-term and short-term consequences. The research also provides a framework for understanding the developmental impact of FGM, emphasising the importance of culturally informed, trauma-sensitive interventions that align with the psychosocial stages of development. The findings begin to highlight the inadequacy of current therapeutic practices, which often fail to address the complex psychological, sexual, and relational trauma associated with FGM. By proposing interventions that are attentive to the survivor’s whole life through following therapeutic trajectories across the life-course, this research advances knowledge of therapies beyond CBT. Consequently, the research offers recommendations for developing more culturally informed and trauma-sensitive interventions that better meet the needs of FGM survivors. This contributes to the field of counselling psychology by advancing knowledge tailored to FGM-related mental health issues and informing the development of effective therapeutic frameworks.Item Childhood sexual abuse: how do women experience a subsequent diagnosis of emotionally unstable personality disorder/borderline personality disorder?(University of Wolverhampton, 2025)Prevalence statistics infer that childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is reported by 16.1% - 85.7% of borderline personality disorder (BPD) patients (de Aquino Ferreira et al. 2018) and of those diagnosed with BPD, 75% are women (NICE, 2009). Thus, BPD is considered in the context of the history of the pathologisation of women through psychiatric diagnosis. Upholding a feminist social constructionist epistemology, this thesis explores the lived experience of women who have experienced CSA and received a subsequent diagnosis of BPD. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four women and interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was used to analyse the transcripts. The analysis produced five Group Experiential Themes: (1) BPD: The ticket towards or away from condemnation? (2) CSA is not the whole story (3) Sense of Self and Identity (4) A relational minefield and (5) The long road to recovery. This research highlights the ambiguous relationship participants have with their diagnosis of BPD. The role that the diagnostic assessment, the delivery of the diagnosis, and internalised stigma plays in the trajectory of this relationship is discussed. Exploration of the impact of CSA highlighted identity disturbance, relational challenges, and a desire for a sense of belonging as particularly prevalent. The significance of choice in relation to treatment/recovery is identified, specifically as to whether CSA is explored as part of this. Participants emphasised that CSA should be considered in the context of wider childhood experiences. Implications for counselling psychology regarding assessment and diagnosis, treatment and interventions, and addressing stigma are noted, alongside opportunities for further research.Item Sri Lankan Tamil asylum seekers’ experiences of a community garden based trauma intervention: an interpretative phenomenological analysis(University of Wolverhampton, 2025)Aims This doctoral research examines the subjective experiences of community gardening as a trauma psychological intervention in the recovery process of male Sri Lankan Tamils asylum seekers who have been diagnosed with war-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This research is particularly timely given the significance of social and systemic processes in asylum seekers’ trauma intervention, the emergence of community horticultural therapy’s efficacy in treating trauma, and a current lack of research on best ways to support Sri Lankan Tamils’ trauma recovery. Methods The method chosen for this research is Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), which espouses a qualitative design methodology, to explore in-depth the subjective experiences of the client group of male Sri Lankan Tamil asylum seekers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six participants, all male Sri Lankan Tamil asylum seekers or former asylum seekers aged 18 or above, who received a formal diagnosis of PTSD from Lewisham IPTT due to war-related trauma from the Sri Lankan Civil War (1983–2009). Results Three superordinate themes emerged from the interpretative analysis. The participants dwelled on the immense value of being with others, of engaging in activities at the intervention, the setting of the intervention, and commented on the intervention’s acceptability and feasibility. Conclusion The research findings suggest the value and cultural empowerment of a psychosocial treatment approach such as that of a community-based intervention. The findings also support that there are specific therapeutic benefits associated with employing a horticultural approach in the treatment of trauma for asylum seekers. The qualitative information gained also enabled a reflection on the role of Counselling Psychologists in general, and what therapy is.
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