The University of Exeter is pleased to be offering a total of up to 22 ESRC funded 1+3 or +3 studentships, including any collaborative projects, as part of the South West Doctoral Training Centre (SWDTC) for entry in 2016-17. Within the DTC, the College of Life and Environmental Sciences is currently inviting applications for the project entitled: Using virtual reality to understand and facilitate resilience in adult survivors of childhood psychological trauma – a biobehavioural approach. This project is one of a number that are in competition for funding. Studentships will be awarded on the basis of merit and strategic fit with the aims of the DTC.
For eligible UK/EU students the full time studentship will cover fees and an annual Research Council stipend of at least £14,057 (2015-16 rate) for up to three years (+3 award) or four years (1+3 award).
For the 1+3 studentships we would require you to register initially on one of the following Masters programmes:
MSc Psychological Research Methods (Streatham campus)
MSc Social and Organisational Psychology (Streatham campus)
For the +3 studentships we would require you to register on the MPhil/PhD Psychology (Streatham campus).
Applicants are encouraged to discuss their applications with the supervisors prior to submission.
Supervisors:
Dr. Anke Karl Psychology (University of Exeter)
Dr. Heather O’Mahen Psychology (University of Exeter)
Project Description:
Although existing treatments for PTSD after psychological trauma have been found to be effective, these treatments are not designed to meet the needs of individuals with complex childhood trauma and comorbid depression (Cloitre, 2015). These individuals struggle with high levels of self-criticism and low-levels of self-compassion and poor interpersonal support; difficulties which maintain PTSD (Ehlers & Clark, 2000; Brewin et al., 2000) and negatively affect an individual’s ability to engage in exposure based treatments because they are perceived to be too stressful and upsetting Research is needed to investigate ways to ameliorate the negative effects of self-criticism and poor self-compassion on both emotional and interpersonal functioning, with the goal to also improve treatment engagement.
For further information about the project and eligibility: http://www.exeter.ac.uk/studying/funding/award/?id=2078