Jess Keeley
Research Officer
BPsych(Hons), PhD (Psychology)
jess.keeley@thekids.org.au
Dr Jess Keeley is an early career researcher with a PhD in psychology and a first-class Bachelor of Psychology degree with honours from Curtin University. Her PhD primarily utilised qualitative methodologies and centred on the maltreatment of people with intellectual disability by family members. Jess is currently a Research Officer in the Child Disability team at The Kids and works across several research projects.
Jess’s research focusses on children with intellectual disability with specific interest in health literacy, communication measurement, minimal clinically important differences, rare disorders, disaster preparedness and accessible dissemination. She aims to improve the lives of children with intellectual disability and their families by listening to and learning from their experiences.
Jess has presented her research at local, national, and international conferences including the International Conference of Community Psychology in Naples Italy (2022). In 2020 she won the Community College Postgraduate Student Conference Award at the International Conference of Community Psychology.
Published research
What I Wish I Had Known: Examining Parent Accounts of Managing the Health of Their Child With Intellectual Disability
Appropriate support for the health of children with an intellectual disability by parents and healthcare professionals is pivotal, given the high risk of chronic conditions. However, there is limited research that has collected important insights from parents on their learnings for supporting their child's evolving healthcare needs.
Perspectives on the essential skills of healthcare decision making in children and adolescents with intellectual disability
Involvement in healthcare decisions is associated with better health outcomes for patients. For children and adolescents with intellectual disability, parents and healthcare professionals need to balance listening to a child's wishes with the responsibility of keeping them safe.
Communication of individuals with CDKL5 deficiency disorder as observed by caregivers: A descriptive qualitative study
CDKL5 deficiency disorder (CDD) is a genetically caused developmental epileptic encephalopathy that causes severe communication impairments. Communication of individuals with CDD is not well understood in the literature and currently available measures are not well validated in this population. Accurate and sensitive measurement of the communication of individuals with CDD is important for understanding this condition, clinical practice, and upcoming interventional trials.
What does better look like in individuals with severe neurodevelopmental impairments? A qualitative descriptive study on SCN2A-related developmental and epileptic encephalopathy
There are limited psychometric data on outcome measures for children with Developmental Epileptic Encephalopathies (DEEs), beyond measuring seizures, and no data to describe meaningful change. This study aimed to explore parent perceptions of important differences in functional abilities that would guide their participation in clinical trials.
Factors influencing public perceptions of child neglect: A mixed methods study
More than 1 in 5 children experience neglect, exposing them to several adverse consequences. Children with intellectual disability experience additional neglect related challenges. Public perceptions significantly influence the identification, intervention, and prevention of child neglect.
Education and Qualifications
- Bachelor of Psychology (honours) – Curtin University
- Doctorate of Philosophy – Psychology Curtin University (Submitted- not yet awarded)
Awards/Honours
- 2020 - Community College Postgraduate Student Conference Award
- 2014 – Vice Chancellors List