Brendan Kennelly

Senior Lecturer in Economics

J.E. Cairnes School of Business and Economics, University of Galway

white clouds and blue skies
Brendan Kennelly

Brendan has published articles on welfare economics, public choice and health economics in journals such as JAMA Networks, British Journal of Psychiatry, Public Choice, Social Science and Medicine and Health Policy, and in several books. Much of his research has been in health economics, particularly in the area of mental health.

He also has a strong interest in economics education. He has published a number of papers on the effectiveness of online assignments in economics.

Brendan's work has been cited in 17 government policy documents (source: Overton).

Brendan's work contributes to these SDGs

SDG 1,3,4,10,12,13

Achieving an efficient and equitable allocation of health care resources is a challenging and critical task. Brendan has contributed to this task through teaching and research over the past 20 years. He has been particularly influential in increasing knowledge and awareness of the economics of mental health in Ireland.

Key Goal: 3 Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

SDG 3

Teaching

Economics of Health and Healthcare

The objective of this course is to introduce students to the most important economic theories of health and health care. One goal of the course is to relate economic theory to the allocation of resources for health and health care. A second goal is to understand and appraise the fundamental theoretical and practical concepts and tools of health economics. During the course, students critically engage with key global health policy questions of care system finance and delivery.

Focusing on Targets: 3.4 Reduce mortality from non-communicable diseases and promote mental health, 3.5 Prevent and treat substance abuse, 3.8 Achieve universal health coverage

Public Sector Economics

Public sector economics is the study of the role of the government in the economy. This involves studying a series of important questions: When should the government intervene in the economy? How might the government intervene? What is the effect of those interventions on economic outcomes? Why do governments choose to intervene in the way that they do?

Focusing on Targets: 13.3 Build knowledge and capacity to meet climate change; 10.2 Promote universal social, economic and political inclusion

Engagement

Brendan is a member of Voices4Care, a Public/Patient group of the All Ireland Institute for Hospice and Palliative Care. He is a member of a group advising the Health Research Board on a Mental Health Research Strategy. He was a member of the steering group that developed a new National Palliative Care policy for Ireland. He has organised a number of events for Palliative Care Week to promote the public's understanding of death and dying.

Direct impact SDG Targets

3.4 - Reduce mortality from non-communicable diseases and promote mental health

3.5 - Prevent and treat substance abuse

3.8 - Achieve universal health coverage

3.C - Increase health financing and support health workforce in developing countries

5.4 - Value unpaid care and promote shared domestic responsibilities

Indirect

1.3 - Implement social protection systems

1.4 - Equal rights to ownership, basic services, technology and economic resources

1.A - Mobilize resources to implement policies to end poverty

3.1 - Reduce maternal mortality

3.2 - End all preventable deaths under 5 years of age

3.3 - Fight communicable diseases

3.7 - Universal access to sexual and reproductive care, family planning and education

3.9 - Reduce illnesses and death from hazardous chemicals and pollution

3.B - Support research, development and universal access to affordable vaccines and medicines

4.6 - Universal literacy and numeracy

5.5 - Ensure full participation in leadership and decision-making

5.6 - Universal access to reproductive health and rights

10.1 - Reduce income inequalities

10.2 - Promote universal social, economic and political inclusion

10.4 - Adopt fiscal and social policies that promotes equality

5.A - Equal rights to economic resources, property ownership and financial services

8.1 - Sustainable economic growth

8.4 - Improve resource efficiency in consumption and production

10.3 - Ensure equal opportunities and end discrimination

11.4 - Protect the world’s cultural and natural heritage

11.7 - Provide access to safe and inclusive green and public spaces

12.C - Remove market distortions that encourage wasteful consumption

13.3 - Build knowledge and capacity to meet climate change

16.7 - Ensure responsive, inclusive and representative decision

SDG wheel

Research

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Photo by Daniel Zbroja on Unsplash

Photo by Daniel Zbroja on Unsplash

Featured Publications

References

SDGs

Kennelly, B., O'Callaghan, M., Coughlan, D. and 5 more (...) (2020). The COVID-19 pandemic in Ireland: An overview of the health service and economic policy response. Health Policy and Technology, 9(4), 419-429.

3

Evans-Lacko, S., Courtin, E., Fiorillo, A. and 25 more (...) (2014). The state of the art in European research on reducing social exclusion and stigma related to mental health: A systematic mapping of the literature. European Psychiatry, 29(6), 381-389.

10

McMorrow, L., O’Hara, M. C., Hynes, L. and 12 more (...) (2018). The preferences of young adults with Type 1 diabetes at clinics using a discrete choice experiment approach: the D1 Now Study. Diabetic Medicine, 35(12), 1686-1692.

3

Walsh, S., O'Shea, E., Pierse, T. and 3 more (...) (2020). Public preferences for home care services for people with dementia: A discrete choice experiment on personhood. Social Science and Medicine, 245.

3.0, 3.4; 8.5

Behan, C., Kennelly, B., Roche, E. and 8 more (...) (2020). Early intervention in psychosis: Health economic evaluation using the net benefit approach in a real-world setting. British Journal of Psychiatry, 217(3), 484-490.

3.4, 3.5

Bracken-Scally, M., Keogh, B., Daly, L. and 9 more (...) (2021). Assessing the impact of dementia inclusive environmental adjustment in the emergency department. Dementia, 20(1), 28-46.

3.4, 3.8; 9.5

Keogh, B., Ting To, W., Daly, L. and 13 more (...) (2020). Acute hospital staff's attitudes towards dementia and perceived dementia knowledge: A cross-sectional survey in Ireland. BMC Geriatrics, 20(1).

3.8, 3.d; 4.0

Cullinan, J., Walsh, S., Flannery, D. and 1 more (...) (2022). A cross-sectional analysis of psychological distress among higher education students in Ireland. Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine.

3.4, 3.8; 4.0, 4.3

Walsh, S., Cullinan, J., Flannery, D. and 1 more (...) (2022). Modelling student preferences for the design of campus counselling services. Studies in Higher Education, 47(2), 305-317.

3.4, 3.5; 4.0

Dooley, N., Kennelly, B., Arseneault, L. and 10 more (...) (2023). Functional Outcomes among Young People with Trajectories of Persistent Childhood Psychopathology. JAMA Network Open, 6(9).

3.3, 3.4; 8.8; 4.0

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