Fidelity assessment of the Walking fOR Health (WORtH) intervention to increase activity and reduce sedentary behaviour in people with severe mental illness

Summary

The PhD student will work alongside the research team (funded by Horizon2020 Cross-border Healthcare Intervention Trials in Ireland Network (CHITIN)) to test the feasibility of a Walking fOR Health (WORtH) intervention to increase activity and reduce sedentary behaviour in people with severe mental illness (SMI).  The research will address the urgent need to improve the physical health and well-being of people with SMI as indicated in national guidelines (https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mediacentre/adultswithsmi.aspx).

The student will be responsible for developing a framework to assess fidelity of the WORtH intervention. The Medical Research Council guidelines have recommended evaluating treatment fidelity in complex interventions (Craig et al. 2008). Fidelity has been defined as the degree to which an intervention is implemented as intended. There are several sets of guidance which inform methods of assessing fidelity e.g. the National Institutes of Health Behavior Change Consortium (NIHBCC) guidance (Bellg et al, 2004), the Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) reporting guidelines (Hoffmann et al, 2014), and recent review papers (Borelli et al, 2011; Toomey et al, 2014; O’Shea et al, 2016). However these guidelines need to be translated into a methodological framework that can be used to assess fidelity of clinical trials within the area of SMI.

Procedures: The intervention will be delivered by clinical staff in Northern and Western Health and Social Care (HSC) Trusts in Northern Ireland (NI) and in County Louth Mental Health Services, a border county in the Republic of Ireland (ROI). The intervention will a 17-week programme. Currently there is no manualised training for this programme and so it will be a key responsibility of the PhD student to develop this manual (in collaboration with the research team) as well as develop the fidelity check lists that could be used in the feasibility trial. Appropriate fidelity guidance will be reviewed to develop a methodological framework. We anticipate that a combination of strategies or methods will be used to enhance, establish, and ensure fidelity (eg, intervention manuals) and to assess or monitor it (eg, direct observations). The Borrelli (2011) checklist, based on the best practice guidelines and recommendations (Bellg et al. 2004) may also be used. Outcomes: The development of a framework to assess fidelity of the (WORtH) intervention with respect to intervention training and intervention delivery (both enactment and receipt). References Bellg et al. Health Psychol . 2004;23:443–451 Borrelli, B. J Public Health Dent. 2011;71(suppl 1):S52–S63.–294. Craig P et al. BMJ. 2008 Sep 29;337:a1655. Hoffmann et al. BMJ . 2014;348:g1687. O’Shea O et al. (2016). Physical Therapy Reviews, 21 (3-6). pp. 207-214. Toomey et al. Man Ther . 2014;20:287.

Essential criteria

• Upper Second Class Honours (2:1) Degree or equivalent from a UK institution (or overseas award deemed to be equivalent via UK NARIC)

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.

• Sound understanding of subject area as evidenced by a comprehensive research proposal

Funding

The University offers the following awards to support PhD study and applications are invited from UK, EU and overseas for the following levels of support:

Vice Chancellors Research Studentship (VCRS)

Full award (full-time PhD fees + DfE level of maintenance grant + RTSG for 3 years).

This scholarship will cover full-time PhD tuition fees and provide the recipient with £15,000 maintenance grant 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 studentship grant (RTSG) allocation to help support the PhD researcher.

Vice-Chancellor’s Research Bursary (VCRB)

Part award (full-time PhD fees + 50% DfE level of maintenance grant + RTSG for 3 years).

This scholarship will cover full-time PhD tuition fees and provide the recipient with £7,500 maintenance grant 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 studentship grant (RTSG) allocation to help support the PhD researcher.

Vice-Chancellor’s Research Fees Bursary (VCRFB)

Fees only award (PhD fees + RTSG for 3 years).

This scholarship will cover full-time PhD tuition fees for three years (subject to satisfactory academic performance). This scholarship also comes with £900 per annum for three years as a research training studentship grant (RTSG) allocation to help support the PhD researcher.

Department for the Economy (DFE)

The scholarship will cover tuition fees at the Home rate and a maintenance allowance of £ 15,009 per annum for three years. EU applicants will only be eligible for the fee’s component of the studentship (no maintenance award is provided). For Non-EU nationals the candidate must be "settled" in the UK. This scholarship also comes with £900 per annum for three years as a research training studentship grant (RTSG) allocation to help support the PhD researcher.

Due consideration should be given to financing your studies; for further information on cost of living etc. please refer to: www.ulster.ac.uk/doctoralcollege/postgraduate-research/fees-and-funding/financing-your-studies

Institute of Mental Health Sciences funded PhD