Beyond the Written Word: How people with severe mental illness interpret and respond to written communication

Additional supervisors will be selected in discussion with the successful candidate, taking account of their research interests, background and preferences, alongside the expertise needed to support the project.

Applications are invited for a funded Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) studentship within the Mental Health Research Group, based in the Community and Primary Care Research Centre, Faculty of Health, Peninsula Medical School, University of Plymouth. The funded period is 4 years. The proposed start date is 1 January 2027.

Written information is an important part of mental healthcare, yet how people respond to it and how it influences their subsequent actions remain insufficiently understood. Understanding these responses could help services communicate in ways that support care and reduce unintended harms. For people living with severe mental illness, written accounts may be particularly consequential during periods of fluctuating mental health needs or care across multiple services, especially when descriptions of diagnoses, risks or treatment differ from their own understanding. 

This PhD will investigate how, when and why adults living with severe mental illness respond to various forms of written information about their mental health and care, and how these responses influence subsequent actions or inaction over time.

Written information may include clinical letters, electronic health records and messages shared through digital platforms or patient-facing applications. Responses may depend on its content, wording, length, format and accessibility, alongside people’s previous experiences of care, personal circumstances, literacy and digital access. Timing, including during changes in symptoms, experiences of treatment or transitions in care, and whether information is encountered alone or discussed with others, may also matter. Whether written accounts align with people’s own understanding of their experiences or are perceived as judgemental may also shape responses.

The PhD will be guided by a realist approach, which seeks to explain how and why particular outcomes arise in different circumstances. Drawing on existing research, relevant theory and early co-design, the student will develop initial programme theories explaining when, how and why written communication generates responses that contribute to action or inaction. These theories will inform the empirical research and be tested, elaborated and refined through engagement with the evidence.

The successful candidate will have opportunities to shape the PhD’s specific focus and design, drawing on their interests and background alongside the developing programme theories. Working with people with lived experience, National Health Service practitioners, academics and the supervisory team, they will refine the study population, forms of communication, care contexts, research questions and methods, considering feasibility and acceptability.

The PhD research is expected to use longitudinal qualitative methods, following people’s responses to various forms of written communication over a defined period. It will examine how individual encounters may generate responses that contribute to action or inaction, and how these encounters build on one another over time to shape subsequent interpretations and actions.

Methods may include repeat interviews and observations, with opportunities for the student to develop and tailor approaches for capturing responses as people encounter written communication. Discourse analysis may examine how written accounts are constructed, while interactional analysis may explore how they are discussed with others. Methods will be selected according to their contribution to testing and refining the developing programme theories, with attention to their philosophical and analytical compatibility with realist research. Sampling will consider diversity in individual circumstances and geographical and service contexts.

Through Mental Health Research Group relationships, findings could inform evidence-informed recommendations or resources to improve written communication.

If you wish to discuss this project further informally, please contact Dr Hannah Wheat – hannah.wheat-1@plymouth.ac.uk.

The student will join the University of Plymouth’s Community and Primary Care Research Centre and become part of the Mental Health Research Group’s research community, working alongside researchers, practitioners, service leaders and people with lived experience to understand and address problems within mental health care systems, including harms, inequalities and imbalances, and identify opportunities for improvement. 

The successful candidate will need to undertake a researcher-in-residence role, embedded in South West services, potentially within Plymouth and/or Somerset systems or elsewhere in the region.

Training will be tailored to the student’s needs and developing study, combining University doctoral training with support in realist research, longitudinal qualitative methods, public involvement, co-design and knowledge mobilisation. Training in discourse and interactional analysis may also be considered where relevant.

Regular supervision will support academic progression and professional development. The student will have opportunities to participate in seminars, workshops, conferences and research networks.

The group is committed to an inclusive and respectful research environment and welcomes applications from diverse backgrounds.

Applicants should have a first or upper second class honours degree in an appropriate subject or a relevant Masters qualification. We welcome applicants from psychology, sociology, health sciences, nursing, allied health professions, public health and related disciplines. An interest in qualitative research, mental healthcare and collaborative research is particularly important. Experience of realist approaches, longitudinal methods or healthcare communication research would be advantageous but is not essential.

The studentship is supported for 4 years and includes full Home tuition fees plus a stipend of £21,805 per annum 2026/27 rate (UKRI) (2027/28 TBC in 2027).  

If you meet the residency requirements but your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum English requirements for the programme, IELTS Academic score of 6.5 (with no less than 5.5 in each component test area) or equivalent. 

There is no additional funding available to cover NHS Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) costs, visa costs, flights etc.

Part-time hours will be considered. Working part-time while receiving a stipend is generally permitted where it is compatible with the award conditions, and progress in the PhD. Full-time employment cannot be held alongside a full-time stipend. 

This vacancy will involve working with children and/or vulnerable adults and any appointment will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service check.

For more information on the admissions process generally, please visit our How to Apply for a Research Degree webpage or contact the Doctoral College.  Applications will not be considered if information is missing.

The closing date for applications is 12 November 2026. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for interview shortly after the deadline. We regret that we may not be able to respond to all applications. Applicants who have not received a response within six weeks of the closing date should consider their application unsuccessful on this occasion.