Current PhD Research Projects
THRIVE supports a coordinated programme of doctoral research focused on rural mental health inequalities.
Up to 10 funded PhD studentships will be developed over five years, aligned with the programme’s research themes and priorities identified through stakeholder engagement and the James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership.
PhD students are supported through interdisciplinary supervision, mentorship and collaboration opportunities across the University of Worcester and the University of Birmingham.
Further information about future doctoral opportunities will be shared as projects develop.
Our Current PhD Projects
Enhancing Mental Health Care in Rural Settings through Electronic Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (ePROMs): The EMPOWER Study.
Researcher: Andy Bolt
Andy is an engineer by background, primarily working in the aerospace and communications sectors in a range of roles such as managing complex projects, operational planning and developing cutting edge technology. During the covid pandemic Andy moved into the healthcare sector, working on the development of a new hospital under the New Hospital Programme and as an emergency responder in several voluntary roles.
Academic and Professional Qualifications and Memberships
Digital technology has the potential to improve treatment for people with serious mental illness, enabling aspects of the treatment to be done at home rather than having to travel to hospital which can be a challenge for many, especially those in rural areas. One such technology is electronic patient-reported outcome measures (ePROMs), which are essentially specially designed digital questionnaires that capture patients’ views on their health and quality of life to inform diagnosis and care.
Andy will look at how these measures are being used and the barriers and facilitators to their use, with the aim of developing an implementation strategy to integrate the use of ePROMs into healthcare for people with serious mental illness.
Contact Details: Bola1_26@uni.worc.ac.uk
Identifying Effective Ways to Deliver Rural Early Intervention Psychosis: The REiP study
Researcher: Laura Burley
I qualified as a mental health nurse following completion of my undergraduate degree at the University of Northampton in 2018. I worked in Shropshire on an acute ward initially before working for the Early Intervention in Psychosis service. I completed a masters in mental health sciences research at UCL alongside working as a community nurse. I finished my masters in 2025 and applied for this PhD studentship which aligned strongly with my interests for research and clinical experience.
Mental health inequalities are a significant concern within rural settings, where care delivery and provisions can be limited due to a number of barriers including socio-economic and geographic. Timely and specialist intervention for those experiencing a first episode of psychosis is vital, and this remains a pressing concern within rural settings.
There is a gap in the research surrounding service provisions and delivery for those experiencing a first episode of psychosis, and this PhD aims to identify the gap in the literature and ascertain effective ways of care delivery including potential solutions for difficulties in delivery care currently.
Email address: frel1_26@uni.worc.ac.uk