PhD Studentship: NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) South West Doctoral Award: Tailoring professional support services for psychiatrists: A realist evaluation

Project Description

Doctors need to perform well to provide safe and quality care for patients. However, around 6-12% of doctors experience performance difficulties at any given time. These difficulties can happen at any point in a doctor’s career and can have many causes. Whatever the cause, it is important that problems are identified early and that doctors receive appropriate support when needed. Professional support services are available to help doctors who are struggling. While professional support services are important for all doctors, they are especially important for psychiatrists. Psychiatrists face particular challenges, including working closely with people who have experienced severe and life-changing trauma, such as abuse, violence, or attempted or completed suicide. Research shows that burnout rates among psychiatrists are high. Psychiatry has a much higher rate of referrals to professional support services for performance concerns compared with other medical specialties. When support is not accessed in time, problems can worsen and may lead to doctors leaving the workforce. It is essential that professional support services work well to help psychiatrists address difficulties and support them to remain in the workforce.

Objectives

• To conduct a literature review to identify gaps, inform research design and situate research in broader literature.
• To use a realist approach to conduct semi-structured interviews to develop a programme theory to ascertain why, how, in what contexts, for whom and to what extent do professional support programmes for psychiatrists produce their effects.
• To develop recommendations for the tailoring of professional support programmes for psychiatrists.

Supervisors

• Dr Nicola Brennan (nicola.brennan@plymouth.ac.uk)
• Dr Jason Hancock
• Dr Ellie Reynolds

NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) South West Doctoral Award

The studentship is supported for 3 years and includes full Home tuition fees plus a stipend at the 2026/27 UKRI rate. The closing date for applications is 21 July 2026. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for interview in August 2026 shortly after the deadline.