About the Project
Ours in the largest digital mental health research group in the UK.
Since 2010, we have developed and evaluated a smartphone-based platform for a range of m-health interventions designed to help people with serious mental illness to manage their own symptoms and prevent relapse (ClinTouch – www.affigo.com). Using “experience-driven design”, it has been developed with service users, clinicians and an academic team with software engineers at the University of Manchester, funded by the Medical Research Council.
Its aim is to achieve a step change in the quality and efficiency of care in SMI in two main ways: enabling self-management of symptoms; enabling very early intervention for relapse. It can be deployed in any long term mental or physical health condition. It works as a personalised smartphone application which triggers, collects and wirelessly uploads symptom data to a central server several times daily. We have shown that it is acceptable and feasible for people with SMI over extended periods. We’ve shown that the data collected are valid as measured against gold-standard rating scales.
Our objective now is to investigate the potential of longer term symptom monitoring in people with psychosis. The aim of this studentship is to investigate longer term active symptom monitoring in terms of understanding barriers and facilitators to long term real time monitoring; evaluating and validating an expanded item set as an ecologically-valid measure of everyday social functioning; investigating statistical methodologies best suited for analysing the high resolution symptom data over time, especially fluctuation and variability of symptoms. Short term symptom variability seems to be an important predictor of adverse outcomes in health generally. The appearance of fluctuations in high blood pressure predicts stroke. Using ASM, we showed that it was fluctuating mood which predicted suicidal ideas, not low mood per se.
Funding Notes
This project is to be funded under the MRC Doctoral Training Partnership. If you are interested in this project, please make direct contact with the Principal Supervisor to arrange to discuss the project further as soon as possible. You MUST also submit an online application form - full details on how to apply can be found on the MRC DTP website www.manchester.ac.uk/mrcdtpstudentships
Applications are invited from UK/EU nationals only. Applicants must have obtained, or be about to obtain, at least an upper second class honours degree (or equivalent) in a relevant subject.
References
• Hayhurst KP, Drake RJ, Massie JA, Dunn G, Barnes TRE, Jones PB, Lewis SW. Improved quality of life over one year is associated with improved adherence in patients with schizophrenia. European Psychiatry. 2014 2014;29(3):191-196.
• Palmier-Claus JE, Taylor PJ, Ainsworth J, Machin M, Dunn G, Lewis SW. The temporal association between self-injurious thoughts and psychotic symptoms: A mobile phone assessment study. Suicide Life. Threat. Behav. 2014 2014;44(1):101-110.
• Bucci S, Barrowclough C, Ainsworth J, Morris R, Berry K, Machin M, Emsley R, Lewis S, Edge D, Buchan I, Haddock G. Using mobile technology to deliver a cognitive behaviour therapy-informed intervention in early psychosis (Actissist): Study protocol for a randomised controlled trial. Trials. 2015;16(1).
• Hollis C, Morriss R, Martin J, Amani S, Cotton R, Denis M, Lewis S. Technological innovations in mental healthcare: Harnessing the digital revolution. Br. J. Psychiatry. 2015;206(4):263-265.
• Goldsmith, L. P., Dunn, G., Bentall, R. P., Lewis, S. W. & Wearden, A. J Correction: Therapist effects and the impact of early therapeutic alliance on symptomatic outcome in chronic fatigue syndrome . 18 May 2016 In : PLoS ONE. 11, 5, e0156120
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