3 Year PhD Studentship: Psychological Distress and Suicidality in Primary Care Ref: 2197

Exeter Medical School

University of Exeter

The University of Exeter Medical School is seeking to attract a PhD candidate of outstanding ability to improve the management of psychological distress and suicidality in primary care.
This PhD is jointly funded by the Judi Meadows Memorial Fund (http://judimeadows.com/about-the-memorial-fund/) and the University of Exeter. On 1 June 2009, Judi Meadows tragically and suddenly took her own life following a short but intense period of depression. The Meadows family established the Judi Meadows Memorial Fund to help prevent other deaths by suicide. The Judi Meadows Memorial Fund is part of the McPin Foundation, a charity that specialises in user focused mental health research. The student will be expected to engage with the McPin Foundation and will benefit from its expertise in delivering this project.
The aim of this PhD is to develop a new way of working for GPs - moving from the current ‘diagnose, medicate and refer’ model of practice to a model based on the relationship, shared understanding and personalized action, harnessing a person’s strengths. The rationale being that more inclusive engagement and action oriented to an individual’s concerns is more likely to both improve mental wellbeing and prevent suicide than attempts to train GP specifically in suicide prevention. The intervention will be co-produced with GPs and people with lived experience of psychological distress. The student will collaborate with the Lived Experience Group, University of Exeter (http://www.exeter.ac.uk/mooddisorders/groups/leg//).
In the U.K, over 6,500 people die by taking their own life each year. More than half of those who take their life have been to see their General Practitioner (GP) in the month before their death. Thoughts of suicide are a marker of psychological distress. Currently, the management of psychological distress in primary care is problematic. It is concerned with categorizing people into diagnoses, rather than engaging with psychological distress. We propose that a focus on the doctor-patient relationship and creating a shared understanding, rather than focusing on the diagnosis, will open communication and patient disclosure of highly sensitive experiences. Further there is evidence that ’ticking the box’ when assessing suicide risk, is received badly by patients; our alternative model encourages engaging with patient distress and working with them to harness their strengths towards recovery.
In order to develop and test the new model the PhD will involve conducting focus groups and interviews with GPs and people experiencing psychological distress being seen in primary care. It will also involve video-recording GP-patient consultations to micro-analyse verbal and non-verbal communication. Applications from students with an interest in qualitative methods, conversation analysis and intervention development are especially welcome.
Academic Supervisors:
Professor Rose McCabe
Professor of Clinical Communication
University of Exeter Medical School
Professor Richard Byng
Professor in Primary Care Research
University of Plymouth
Professor Chris Dickens
Professor of Psychological Medicine
University of Exeter Medical School
Funding Notes:
The studentship will be fully-funded for UK/EU students, including a stipend of £14,296 per annum (based on the full-time 16/17 rate). Tuition fees will be paid at the UK/EU rate. Candidates from countries outside the European Union will be liable for the difference between 'home student fees' and 'international student fees' which was just over £14,000 in 15/16 but is likely to increase slightly each year. Non-EU students who wish to be considered must confirm their ability to pay the international portion of the fee. If selected, financial assurances will be required.
Entry requirements:
Applicants should be highly motivated and have, or expect to obtain, either a first or upper-second class BSc (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline. International applicants must also have IELTS [International English Language Testing System] score of 7 and above (or equivalent qualification).

Funding information

Funding applies to:

Open to applicants from a range of countries

Funding notes:

Stipend of £14,296 per annum plus UK/EU fees for eligible students (2016-17 full-time rates).
Candidates from countries outside the European Union will be liable for the difference between 'home student fees' and 'international student fees' which was just over £14,000 in 15/16 but is likely to increase slightly each year. Non-EU students who wish to be considered must confirm their ability to pay the international portion of the fee. If selected, financial assurances will be required.

Contacts and how to apply

Administrative contact and how to apply:

For further information and details of how to apply please see here.

Application deadline:

22 June 2016