Integrated Care Academy (ICA) and the Suffolk and North East Essex
Integrated Care System
PhD Studentship
Integrated Community Mental Health Provision for young adults
Background
It is estimated 90% of people with mental health problems are cared for within primary care. COVID-
19 has had a marked effect on people’s mental health, including a four-fold increase in symptoms of
anxiety and depressive disorders reported by younger people, with minority groups especially hard
hit. This PhD instigates the first steps toward identifying those procedures and practices necessary
to deliver an integrated model of community mental health provision.
This exciting and innovative PhD studentship is aligned to the work of Suffolk and North East Essex
Integrated Care System and hosted by the Integrated Care Academy at the University of Suffolk.
Aim of the PhD
To assess and map those procedures and practices necessary to deliver the integration of
community mental health provision for young adults. This research will be produced through co-
production and structured through asset-based approaches. Through identifying ‘what matters to
me’, the research will engage younger adult patients and/or users, unpaid carers, community
mental health and primary care clinicians as well as academics. Through applying a mixed method
approach you will explore:
•What patients, users or carers want from community-based mental-health provision
•Those services/ interventions/ support that patients, users and carers identify as providing the
most benefit in managing their common mental health problems
•What strategic and policy staff, clinicians and professionals perceive as the barriers and
facilitators to integration of community-based mental health services
•Those specific steps, procedures and practices necessary to integrate community-based mental
health services
Support from Suffolk and North East Essex ICS and the Integrated Care Academy
Working alongside staff in Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care System, the University of
Suffolk (UoS) will provide a comprehensive programme of supervision, mentoring and training in
research methods, ethics and research conduct. This includes online training sessions, interactive
discussions and workshops throughout the year. Networking opportunities with other PhD and post-
doctoral students will be available, as well as links with external experts from policy and practice.
The supervision team
The supervisors will be Professor Chantal Ski (Director, Integrated Care Academy) and Dr Karen
Windle (Integrated Care Academy). The candidate will also be supported by Dr Mark Shenton,
Professor of Integrated Care and board member of the Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care
System.
Available financial support
Your PhD fees and a yearly stipend at current UKRI rates will be funded by the Ipswich and East
Suffolk Clinical Commissioning Group. There are also additional monies to support e.g. equipment,
conference attendance, transcription, publications and travel. The studentship is open to UK
candidates only, owing to funding restrictions.
Applying for the PhD
You can find out more about this PhD on the University of Suffolk website (link below). Alternatively,
please do contact Professor Chantal Ski or Dr Karen Windle (links below)
https://www.uos.ac.uk/jobs/m
ental-health-phd-studentship
