There is a growing crisis in child and adolescent mental health with parents and professionals not knowing how to respond. Understanding young peoples interactions with their parents and identifying key features which can be used to support positive interactions has major implications for supporting young people.
This PhD will conduct innovative work to uniquely quantify supportive parent-child interactions from > 400 observed video interactions in infancy, childhood and adolescence. The PhD will use rich existing longitudinal datasets from both the UK and Brazil to establish the long-term associations between features of interactions and mental health. The project uses novel application of artificial intelligence (AI) coding of behaviour in synchronised videos, such as emotion reading software and co-production with families alongside support from a psychology academic, statistical and clinical supervisory/ advisory team in MMU , KCL, University of Oxford and Brazil and NIH to generate findings which are translatable to interventions such as Family Therapy and Video Interaction Guidance.
Project aims and objectives
The project aims to:
Essential:
Desirable:
The studentship is fully funded by the NWCDTP, with fees paid plus an annual stipend at the UKRI standard rate (£19,237 per year for 2024-2025).
Please note, this project is only available to Home students only due to the nature of the funding source.
Interested applicants should contact Nicky Wright (nicky.wright@mmu.ac.uk) for an informal discussion.
To apply you will need to complete the online application form for a full-time PhD in Psychology (or download the PGR application form).
You should also complete the narrative CV form addressing the project’s aims and objectives, demonstrating how the skills you have maps to the area of research and why you see this area as being of importance and interest.
If applying online, you will need to upload your statement in the supporting documents section, or email the application form and statement to PGRAdmissions@mmu.ac.uk.
Closing date: 14 March 2025
Expected start date: October 2025
Please quote the reference: H&E_Psych_NW_2025_Parent-Child
This project is only available to Home students only due to the nature of the funding source.
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