PhD Study : Promoting resilience, wellbeing and help seeking amongst athletes

  • Funded PhD Opportunity
  • This opportunity is now closed.
  • Life and Health Sciences
Apply and key information  

Summary

Background to the Project:
The capacity of organised sport to offer athletes the opportunity to address aspects of their health lifestyles, has been the subject of increased scrutiny over recent years. The proposed PhD study will be embedded within on-going mental health through sport intervention programmes, and is designed to examine the efficacy of certain forms of delivery to offer robust and measurable improvements in wellbeing of athletes and club members in Northern Ireland. The study will be trans disciplinary and will examine issues of isolation, resilience, help seeking, stress management, potential mental health concerns and support networks available.

Methods:
Initially the successful candidate will systematically review international best practice around the use of sport to address issues of stress, resilience, mental health and help seeking in athletes. The intention thereafter is to undertake a feasibility study for the development of an intervention on the mental health needs of athletes in the context maladaptive sport culture that fosters mental toughness and blocks effective help seeking. The study will adopt a mixed methods approach, deploying established psychological questionnaires designed to identify specific antecedents to marginalisation and potential mental health concerns and a series of in-depth, semi structured interviews with a range of stakeholders, including the athletes and sport club members at the centre of the proposed study to ascertain its effectiveness.

Objectives of the research:
1. To consider the efficacy of current practice around the use of sport to address isolation and the needs of ‘at risk’ athletes.
2. In consultation with mental health support services, to develop a viable intervention that addresses the specific needs of athletes at risk of mental ill health.
3. To extend and refine current knowledge around social and psychological theory to address marginalisation and potential mental ill-health amongst athletes.
Skills Required of Applicant:
The successful applicant should be from a health or relevant social science background and be familiar with, or have an interest in, research on athlete wellbeing. Knowledge of measures of wellbeing and emotional resilience are essential, as is the ability to demonstrate use of semi-structured interviews, ideally with experience of conducting interviews within this sensitive topic area. The ability to communicate findings clearly and effectively through oral and written means is also a desirable quality for those interested in this opportunity.

Relevant References:
Bauman, N. J. (2016). The stigma of mental health in athletes: Are mental toughness and mental health seen as contradictory in elite sport?" British Journal of Sports Medicine, Vol.50 No. 3, 135-136. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2015-095570.

Breslin, G., & McCay, N. (2012). Perceived control over physical and mental wellbeing: the effects of gender, age and social class. Journal of Health Psychology, 0, 1-8. doi: 10.1177/1359105312438600.

Griffiths MK, Crisp DA, Jorm AF and Christensen H (2011) Does stigma predict a belief in dealing with depression alone? Journal of Affective Dis¬orders Vol.132: 413–417.

Kelly, L. (2011) 'Social inclusion' through sports-based interventions? In Critical Social Policy, Vol.31: 126 – 150.

Sebbens, J. Hassmén, P. Crisp, D. and Wensley, K. (2016), "Mental Health in Sport (MHS): Improving the Early Intervention Knowledge and Confidence of Elite Sport Staff ". Front Psychol. Vol.24, No.7. pp.911. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00911.

Essential criteria

Applicants should hold, or expect to obtain, a First or Upper Second Class Honours Degree in a subject relevant to the proposed area of study.

We may also consider applications from those who hold equivalent qualifications, for example, a Lower Second Class Honours Degree plus a Master’s Degree with Distinction.

In exceptional circumstances, the University may consider a portfolio of evidence from applicants who have appropriate professional experience which is equivalent to the learning outcomes of an Honours degree in lieu of academic qualifications.

  • Sound understanding of subject area as evidenced by a comprehensive research proposal
  • A comprehensive and articulate personal statement

Desirable Criteria

If the University receives a large number of applicants for the project, the following desirable criteria may be applied to shortlist applicants for interview.

  • First Class Honours (1st) Degree
  • Completion of Masters at a level equivalent to commendation or distinction at Ulster
  • Practice-based research experience and/or dissemination
  • Experience using research methods or other approaches relevant to the subject domain
  • Work experience relevant to the proposed project
  • Publications - peer-reviewed
  • Publications record appropriate to career stage
  • Experience of presentation of research findings
  • Use of personal initiative as evidenced by record of work above that normally expected at career stage.

Funding and eligibility

The University offers the following levels of support:

Vice Chancellors Research Studentship (VCRS)

The following scholarship options are available to applicants worldwide:

  • Full Award: (full-time tuition fees + £19,000 (tbc))
  • Part Award: (full-time tuition fees + £9,500)
  • Fees Only Award: (full-time tuition fees)

These scholarships will cover full-time PhD tuition fees for three years (subject to satisfactory academic performance) and will provide a £900 per annum research training support grant (RTSG) to help support the PhD researcher.

Applicants who already hold a doctoral degree or who have been registered on a programme of research leading to the award of a doctoral degree on a full-time basis for more than one year (or part-time equivalent) are NOT eligible to apply for an award.

Please note: you will automatically be entered into the competition for the Full Award, unless you state otherwise in your application.

Department for the Economy (DFE)

The scholarship will cover tuition fees at the Home rate and a maintenance allowance of £19,000 (tbc) per annum for three years (subject to satisfactory academic performance).

This scholarship also comes with £900 per annum for three years as a research training support grant (RTSG) allocation to help support the PhD researcher.

  • Candidates with pre-settled or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, who also satisfy a three year residency requirement in the UK prior to the start of the course for which a Studentship is held MAY receive a Studentship covering fees and maintenance.
  • Republic of Ireland (ROI) nationals who satisfy three years’ residency in the UK prior to the start of the course MAY receive a Studentship covering fees and maintenance (ROI nationals don’t need to have pre-settled or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme to qualify).
  • Other non-ROI EU applicants are ‘International’ are not eligible for this source of funding.
  • Applicants who already hold a doctoral degree or who have been registered on a programme of research leading to the award of a doctoral degree on a full-time basis for more than one year (or part-time equivalent) are NOT eligible to apply for an award.

Due consideration should be given to financing your studies. Further information on cost of living

The Doctoral College at Ulster University

Key dates

Submission deadline
Monday 19 February 2018
12:00AM

Interview Date
March 2018

Preferred student start date
Mid September 2018

Applying

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