Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR) as a therapy for psychological trauma among civilian refugees (ref: RDFC18/SEW/SCOTT-BELL)

Myriad research has documented the considerable impact exposure to trauma has on mental health. Investigations have revealed a strong correlation between the rate and type of traumatic exposures and the occurrence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
There are two main recommended psychological interventions for the treatment of trauma and trauma-related conditions such as PTSD - trauma-focussed Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR). While the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) credits EMDR as a treatment of choice for PTSD, with further endorsement in the 2013 World Health Organisation (WHO) guidance on mental health care after trauma, there remains controversy regarding the efficacy of how EMDR works and whether its mechanisms differ to more established exposure techniques.
Meta-analyses and narrative systematic reviews of existing Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs) have concluded good efficacy of EMDR for improving symptoms and diagnosis of PTSD, trauma, depression and anxiety over other interventions and control conditions. While there is confidence in the effectiveness of EMDR as a treatment modality for trauma-related conditions, existing studies are limited by their small cohort sizes. Consequently there is a greater need for large cohort investigations to provide a greater and more substantial body of evidence that EMDR can have a positive effect and hence an appropriate intervention method amongst other, more established, therapeutic approaches.
The research will be undertaken in four phases: 1) systematic review of literature; 2) quantitative analysis of large cohort data; 3) qualitative sub-analyses of interventions/groups; 4) randomised controlled trial (RCT) to examine efficacy of EMDR among refugee civilians. The research seeks to apprise the efficacy of EMDR as an intervention for psychological trauma and inform best practice using EMDR for the treatment of trauma-related symptoms. Moreover, it has the potential to inform public health bodies on the health economics and wider socio-economic impacts of positive interventions.
The successful applicant will work under the supervision of Dr Andrea Scott-Bell, Dr Georgia Allen-Baker and Professor Glyn Howatson as well as support from Professor Matthew Kiernan (Northumbria University) and Professor Derek Farrell (University of Worcester).

Eligibility and How to Apply:
Please note eligibility requirement:
• Academic excellence of the proposed student i.e. minimum 2:1 (or equivalent GPA from non-UK universities [preference for 1st class honours]); and/ or a Masters (preference for Merit or above)
• Excellent understanding and experience of using quantitative methods
• Knowledge of qualitative methodologies
• Knowledge of EMDR/psychological therapies related to trauma
• Willingness and ability to work collaboratively and part of a broader team

For further details of how to apply, entry requirements and the application form, see
https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/research/postgraduate-research-degrees/how-to-apply/

Please note: Applications that do not include a research proposal of approximately 1,000 words (not a copy of the advert), or that do not include the advert reference (e.g. RDF18/…) will not be considered.
Deadline for applications: 12th July 2018
Start Date: 1st October 2018

Northumbria University takes pride in, and values, the quality and diversity of our staff. We welcome applications from all members of the community. The University holds an Athena SWAN Bronze award in recognition of our commitment to improving employment practices for the advancement of gender equality and is a member of the Euraxess network, which delivers information and support to professional researchers.