Perinatal mental health and well-being among UK military spouses/partners

Postnatal depression (PND) affects approximately 10-15% of women, with risk factors including parenting stress, anxiety and depression during pregnancy, stressful life events during pregnancy and low levels of social support. The unique nature of military life, such as frequent relocation and deployment, may lead to greater risk among the spouses/partners of Service personnel. However, there is currently a lack of UK research on perinatal health among military spouses/partners and how military life may influence their well-being during pregnancy and after childbirth.

This novel PhD will use a mixed-methods approach to address this gap in the knowledge by completing the following aims:
1. estimate the prevalence of perinatal mental health among this population in comparison with women in the general population
2. identify socio-demographic and military factors associated with this outcome
3. explore the influence of having a partner in the UK military on the mental health and well-being of military spouses/partners during pregnancy and after childbirth
4. explore service provider perceptions of military spouses/partners experiences during the perinatal period

This PhD is fully funded by the ERSC as part of the London Interdisciplinary Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership (LISS DTP), in partnership with the Army Families Federation and the Naval Families Federation. LISS DTP’s Collaborative (CASE) Studentship competitions promote partnerships between social scientists at King’s College London, Queen Mary University of London and Imperial College and end-user, non-academic organisations (public or private or third sector ‘partner institutions’). A CASE studentship is a PhD studentship in which the student enhances their training by working closely with the non-academic partner in the development of their research project. They are a great way to initiate longer-term partnerships and to ensure the ‘impact’ of doctoral research.

Applications

Further information for potential students can be found here: https://liss-dtp.ac.uk/case-studentships-student-applicants/#1513161186334-1b649b02-a525

Please contact academic leads directly to find out more particular details about individual projects. LISS DTP ([Email Address Removed]) can answer any general questions regarding the application process, core methods training requirements etc.

You should hold a relevant Masters degree, with the majority of core social science research methods training already covered on it, to apply for this studentship.

To be accepted, all applications must include:
a completed ESRC LISS DTP Collaborative (CASE) application form
a copy of your CV
2 academic references, or 1 academic and 1 professional reference (these should be sent directly to [Email Address Removed] by your referees)
copies of transcripts for all relevant degrees

These materials should be sent BOTH to [Email Address Removed] and the project academic lead by the deadline indicated in the project tab.