In search of bio-psycho-social markers for the recurrence of adolescent depression

Mental Health Research UK Children and Young People PhD Scholarship
PhD in Clinical Psychology

Half of depression cases emerge in youth. Adolescent depression is notoriously difficult to treat and highly recurrent. Once an individual has had one episode of illness, the chance of developing a second episode is 60%; after two and three episodes, the chances rise up to 70% and 90% respectively. We urgently need to develop more effective treatments on the early stage of illness, before it develops into a recurrent pattern. This PhD will therefore focus on young people who have recovered from depression. One hypothesis is that the experience of depression may result in biological and psychosocial changes (‘scar effects’) that make the individual more at risk for developing future episodes of illness. This PhD will examine these features, focusing on three areas:

i. Emotional processing – the way we attend to, interpret, and remember emotional information;
ii. Reactivity to stress – both in terms of biological functions indicated by cortisol levels (the ‘stress hormone’), quality of sleep, and psychological strategies of emotional regulation;
iii. Psychological scar effects – the way individuals cope with the sense of shame and stigma that are often associated with mental health difficulties.

This project consists of three studies using both quantitative and qualitative methods with longitudinal follow-up assessments to examine short- and long-term outcomes. Qualitative interviews will help capturing the lived experience of adolescent depression and identify factors that are subjectively important. The ultimate goal is to inform the development of better treatment and preventative strategies that can transform the quality of life across the life span.

This PhD will involve recruiting young people with a history of depression or other mental health difficulties and performing in-depth assessment using a wide range of tools drawn from clinical psychology (e.g. validated questionnaires, clinical interview schedules), cognitive neuroscience (e.g. computerised neural-cognitive tasks) and biological psychiatry (e.g. collection and analysis of physiological sleep data, cortisol hormone level). This will involve face-to-face meetings with individuals with experience of mental health difficulties and will have to handle emotionally sensitive situations and study materials. Relevant training and regular supervision will be provided.

Supervision and Educational Environment

The principal supervisor will be Dr Stella Chan, who is an academic clinical psychologist with research expertise in depression and youth mental health (https://www.edweb.ed.ac.uk/profile/stella-chan). This PhD will be further supported by second supervisor Dr Heather Whalley, an experienced neuroscientist based at the Division of Psychiatry (https://www.ed.ac.uk/clinical-brain-sciences/people/principal-investigators/dr-heather-whalley).

The student will be based at the School of Health in Social Science (Section of Clinical Psychology), and be part of the Centre of Applied Developmental Psychology which has a specialist interest in young people’s mental health. This PhD will have regular contact with researchers at the Division of Psychiatry, and will also be situated within the interdisciplinary environment of Edinburgh Neuroscience, which has a vibrant community of >250 postgraduate studies across medical, biological and social sciences, including Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry. Within the University of Edinburgh the student will have access to the wide range of research methods courses available to PhD students to meet their learning needs.

Application Details

Information about how to apply for this PhD project and Scholarship can be found on the following website:
https://www.ed.ac.uk/health/study-with-us/scholarships-and-student-funding-information/mental-health-research-uk-children-and-young-peopl

The deadline for applications is 5pm on Monday, 7th May 2018.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview in the week of 21st -25th May 2018 at which they will be asked to deliver a short presentation on the topic of “Depression is common in adolescents - why? and what are contributing factors?” The presentation should last no more than 10 minutes, and is an opportunity to demonstrate your communication skills, and awareness / experience of applied research and practice.