PhD Study : Trauma, PTSD and Complex PTSD: An analysis of the “Children and Young People’s Mental Health in Northern Ireland Survey”

Summary

The “Children and Young People’s Mental Health in Northern Ireland Survey” is the largest, nationally representative, survey of mental health of children and young people in Northern Ireland. The survey was commissioned by the Health & Social Care Board (HSCB) to assess the prevalence and predictors of a broad range of psychological problems. The survey is based on a representative sample of almost 3,000 children and young people from across Northern Ireland aged from 2 to 20 years. The survey is ongoing and aims to be completed in early 2020.

This project will involve the analysis of data from this survey. One of the innovative aspects of the project is that it will be assessing trauma and stressful life events, and estimating the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and Complex PTSD based on the new diagnostic criteria in the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). This marks a significant departure from the DSM-5 model of PTSD. There has been a substantial body of research that has examined the validity of these new diagnoses and there have been many studies of the predictors of PTSD and CPTSD in population and clinical sample (Brewin et al., 2017; Cloitre et al., 2019).

The primary aim of this project is to assess the quality of a new measure of ICD-11 PTSD and CPTSD for use with children, the International Trauma Questionnaire for Children (ITQ-C). This is a new measure that has only been used once, in a clinical sample (see Haselgruber, Sölva, & Lueger‐Schuster, 2019), and this project will provide information on how this scale operates at the level of the general population.

The objectives of the research are to:

1. Assess the rates of trauma exposure in children and young people in Northern Ireland, and test for gender differences.

2. Conduct a psychometric evaluation of the International Trauma Questionnaire for Children (ITQ-C) by testing reliability and construct validity.

3. Assess the level of PTSD and CPTSD in the population of children and young people in Northern Ireland.

4. Determine the association between PTSD and CPTSD and other commonly mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.

5. Disseminate the research findings in peer-reviewed journals, conferences, and to clinicians and policy-makers.

This will be a quantitative project and so the successful applicant will be required to be familiar with basic statistical analysis (descriptive statistics, regression, ANOVA), relevant software (SPSS, Mplus), and most importantly be willing to develop their skills in quantitative methods.

Applicants should have an interest in mental health research.

Brewin, C. R., Cloitre, M., Hyland, P., Shevlin, M., Maercker, A., Bryant, R. A., ... & Somasundaram, D. (2017). A review of current evidence regarding the ICD-11 proposals for diagnosing PTSD and complex PTSD. Clinical psychology review, 58, 1-15.

Cloitre, M., Hyland, P., Bisson, J. I., Brewin, C. R., Roberts, N., Karatzias, T., & Shevlin, M. (2019). ICD-11 PTSD and Complex PTSD in the United States: A population-based study. Journal of Traumatic Stress.

Haselgruber, A., Sölva, K., & Lueger‐Schuster, B. (2019). Validation of ICD‐11 PTSD and complex PTSD in foster children using the International Trauma Questionnaire. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica.

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.

• A comprehensive and articulate personal statement
• A demonstrable interest in the research area associated with the studentship

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.

• Hold a Masters degree in Psychology or related area
• Recognition of the importance of research integrity and Open Science practices

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