Current Doctoral Research Projects

Examples of Current Doctoral Projects:

 2022 Intake Projects

Theory Driven Research Project titles

  • An Exploration of Cognitive Processes in Surgical Performance Anxiety
  • The Role of Imagery in Maternal-Fetal Bonding and Fear of Childbirth
  • A Comparison of High and Low Stigmatised Identities in terms of Social Identity Integration and the Role of Perceptions of Out-Group Empathy in People who Hear Voices
  • The Impact of Relational Security on Professional Quality of life and the Role of Self-Compassion in Forensic Inpatient Staff
  • Hearing Voices and Shame
  • Sensitivity to being betrayed and betraying others in OCD and PTSD: exploring the role of mental contamination and post-traumatic cognitions.
  • Do maladaptive religious beliefs predict PTSD symptom severity in Muslim individuals who have experienced trauma?
  • Negative appraisals and cognitive processing of traumatic events in migrant populations having undergone acculturation
  • Investing the impact of illness invalidation on health-related quality of life and mental defeat in women with Endometriosis
  • Understanding the relationship and impact of civilian reintegration, meaning making and moral injury in UK military veterans: A Theory-Driven Research Project
  • Mental health of Farmers: Unravelling the interplay of psychological appraisals, coping strategies and mental health.
  • An investigation of the relationship between experiencing trauma in childhood versus adulthood, and voice-hearing.
  • Shame as a response to social threat: Characteristics and maintenance of shame-based memories in young adults exposed to trauma in childhood
  • Social identity continuity in predicting wellbeing in carers of stroke survivors
  • Exploring the effects of childhood memories of warmth & safeness and self-compassion on trauma-related shame in adults with Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD)
  • Understanding parent-child interactions in parents with psychosis and their young children
  • Exploring the Intersections of Emotional Processing and Theory of Mind in Functional Neurological Disorders: A Comparative Study across Symptom Variants
  • Social cure or curse: Investigating the impact of having a social identity related to self-harm on wellbeing
  • Do people with ARFID present with eating disorder cognitions? A comparison between ARFID and Anorexia.
  • The role of perceived mental health related stigma in the integration of a depression social identity
  • Psychological adjustment in stroke survivors – A moderation analysis of the impact of post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) on the relationship between perceived control and psychological adjustment post-stroke
  • An investigation of fear of losing control and anxiety
  • Examining the effectiveness of a single-session school-based outreach intervention to increase anxiety literacy and help-seeking intentions in adolescence.
  • Aberrant Salience of Thoughts as a Causal Factor of Hallucinations in Psychosis
  • OCD symptoms across the menstrual cycle: a prospective within-subjects design
  • The Importance of Appraisals of Symptom Controllability for Psychosocial Outcomes Following Acquired Brain Injury (ABI)
  • The Relationship between Attachment Security and Self-Compassion in adolescents and its prediction on Help-Seeking Intentions in Schools for Emotional Difficulties.
  • The role of self-surveillance and appearance anxiety as mediators of the relationship between self-objectification and sexual functioning in individuals with and without sexual pain – a case control study.
  • Exploring Self-Compassion in Compulsive Exercise in Young People
  • with Eating Disorders
  • An Experimental Investigation of the Impact of Autism Spectrum Diagnosis on Clinicians’ judgement of anxiety disorder
  • Self-Compassion, Mental Health and Emotion Regulation in Adults with Temporal Lobe Epilepsy
  • Executive Functioning Impairment and its Association with Traumatic Brain Injury in a UK Homelessness Sample
  • Investigating Overprotective Parenting and It’s Relation to Child and Parental Anxiety in Children with a Cleft Lip and/ or Palate
  • Work related psychological wellbeing and help-seeking in NHS staff. 
  • Targeting social identity integration in voice hearers.
  • Investigating Links between Eating Disorders and Perfectionism: A Quantitative Study of Multidimensional Perfectionism Constructs across Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge Eating Disorder
  • The Relationship between Drinking Motives and Alcohol Problems in Older Adults and the Moderating Role of Psychological Distress: A Longitudinal Study
  • Self-stigma in parents of young people with functional neurological disorders
  • Mental Defeat and Feat of Recurrence following a Cardiac Event: Prevalence and Outcomes for Cardiac Rehabilitation
  • Exploring Postnatal Trauma Symptoms Amongst Black and White Women in the UK
  • Social support, caregiving appraisal, coping, and quality of life in parents of adult children with an Intellectual Disability.
  • Theory Driven Research project: The role of Betrayal and Thought Action Fusion in Individuals with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Mental Contamination (MC)
  • Staff recognition of autism and autistic traits in homelessness services: a vignette study

Systematic Review of the Literature titles

  • Efficacy of group psychological therapy for different neurological/neuropsychological disorders.
  • Review Investigating the Factors Impacting Risk and Resilience to Post Traumatic Stress following Incidents of Reproductive Loss in Mothers
  • Caregiver Experiences of Informal Caregivers or Relatives of People with Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder: A Qualitative Systematic Review
  • The Relationship Between Autism and Self-Esteem: A Narrative Review of the Literature
  • Mental Health Impact of Climate Crisis
  • A systematic review and meta-synthesis of evidence regarding equity of access and outcomes of psychological support following perinatal loss amongst ethnic and minority women and birthing people and/or their partners.
  • Therapist Attachment and Client Outcomes: Does Therapist Attachment Style Have an Impact on the Therapeutic Alliance and the Outcomes of Clients? A Narrative Review
  • Exploring acculturation and religious coping and its impact on psychological well-being: a systematic review
  • A systematic review on the phenomenology of OCD in minoritized ethnic groups within developed countries
  • A Review of the Acceptability of Positive Behavioural Management Strategies in Managing Challenging Behaviors in Adolescent Residential Settings
  • A narrative review exploring factors that protect adolescents in rural communities from suicide.
  • The impact of third-wave therapies on psychological outcomes in parents of autistic children: A systematic review
  • How does shame contribute to and maintain domestic abuse?
  • Assessment and Validation of Measures of Post-Concussion Symptoms: A Systematic Review
  • A Systematic Review of Adolescents' Lived Experiences of Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) & Engagement with Therapy
  • A systematic review of the relationship between parental factors and child dental anxiety
  • The effectiveness of compassion therapies for adult survivors of sexual assault: a systematic review.
  • A systematic review of the mental health impact of participation in activism by stigmatised groups
  • Cognitive behavioural therapy for sleep problems in psychosis: A systematic review of effectiveness and acceptability
  • How are psychotherapy groups used for Eating Disorders (ED) in adolescents and emerging adults and what are the preliminary results with regards to effectiveness for ED psychopathology
  • The Prevalence and Assessment of Anosognosia Post Stroke – A Systematic Review
  • Clinician experiences of identity change during Open Dialogue implementation and training: a meta-ethnography
  • Parents’ experiences in accessing services for their autistic children in the United Kingdom: a meta-synthesis.
  • Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Examining the Effect of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder on Associative Learning
  • Association between trauma and premenstrual disorders
  • Effectiveness of Pre- and Post-Operative Guided Imagery as a Treatment for Postoperative Pain,
  • Anxiety and Depression in Surgery and Critical Care Settings: A systematic review
  • Effectiveness of Universal Secondary School-Based Interventions addressing the Psychological Risk Factors of Eating Disorders in Adolescents.
  • Psychological risk factors for the development of Female Genito-Pelvic Pain/Penetration Disorder (GPPPD) - A systematic Review of the Literature
  • A Systematic Review of Third Wave Cognitive Behavioural Intervention Studies for Family Caregivers for People with Dementia
  • What is the prevalence of SAD and ED in children and adolescents, and what are the patterns of comorbidity between these conditions as reported in the existing literature?
  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Children and Young People with Long-Term Conditions: A Systematic Review of Intervention Studies
  • Investigating the Nature and Process of Culturally Adapted Cognitive Behavioural Therapies (CA-CBT): A Systematic Review
  • Working title: A systematic review investigating the efficacy of differential reinforcement as a behavioural intervention for behavioural excesses in Autistic children and young people
  • Healthcare staff professional identity and psychosocial functioning: a systematic review.
  • Disclosure of suicidality and self-harm on social media
  • The Lived Experience of Perfectionism in People with Eating Disorders: A Systematic Review and Thematic Synthesis
  • A Systematic Review of Relative and Caregiver Interventions in Brain Injury: What Family-Oriented Interventions Have Been Evaluated for Relatives and Carers of Individuals with Brain Injury, and What are the Outcomes?
  • Intergenerational impact of homelessness on maternal mental health and child outcomes: A narrative review.
  • Mental Imagery of the Self in Body Dysmorphic Disorder: A Mixed Methods Systematic Review
  • Racial Discrimination and Psychosis: A Systematic Review of Psychological Vulnerability Factors and Pathways in Ethnic Minorities
  • What are the protective factors which support the wellbeing of parents with children with Intellectual Disabilities?
  • Interpersonal factors in hoarding disorder: adult attachment, social support and loneliness: a systematic review
  • The relationship between Neurodivergence and Hoarding: a systematic review examining Autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
  • Treatment seeking for substance misuse in the military: A systematic review of characteristics of those who seek treatment, barriers, and facilitators to engagement

Service Improvement Project titles

  • Improving the Introduction of Emotional-Impact Staff Peer-Support Sessions in a Community Neurorehabilitation Multi-Disciplinary Team
  • Improving LGBTQ+ Individuals’ Experiences of Berkshire Talking Therapies
  • How can the Psychosexual Support for Women with Chronic Gynaecological Conditions and Sexual Intimacy Difficulties be Improved?
  • Exploring Sexual Rights vs Sexual Safety in a Community Learning Disability Team
  • Staff Experiences of Working with Women Experiencing Homelessness
  • It All Exists Within Me”: Exploring Care Experiences Of Service-Users With Comorbid Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder and Eating Disorders
  • Increasing access to the Berkshire Traumatic Stress Service: what are the barriers and facilitators to accessing and engaging with the Berkshire Traumatic Stress Service for clients who are asylum seekers or refugees?
  • Access to Statutory Mental Health Provision for Service Users Experiencing Homelessness: Third Sector Perspectives
  • Adapting and evaluating the Honest, Open and Proud programme for valuing, de-stigmatizing and supporting lived experience and invisible difference within Clinical Psychology training
  • Staff experiences of Post-Incident Support in an Adolescent Inpatient Unit
  • Psychologists' perception of systems, power, therapeutic engagement, and hope in inpatient Forensic Services
  • Improving clinician confidence and competency in adapting cognitive behavioural therapy for autistic clients in the Oxfordshire Early Intervention in Psychosis service.
  • Screening for autism in the Oxfordshire Early Intervention for Psychosis service: an audit and service improvement project
  • Evaluating Anti-Racism Training at The Oxford Institute of Clinical Psychology Training and Research
  • ‘A place to take off the mask that parenthood is amazing all the time’. Understanding the barriers to and facilitators of access and engagement with Babies 1st Video Interactive Guidance (VIG) based community baby bonding groups.
  • What are the perceived barriers and facilitators to the treatment of emotional regulation for older people in Berkshire? A mixed methods study
  • Psychological safety in a low secure inpatient forensic ward: exploring how to create a safe and open culture of sexual safety in healthcare.
  • Developing, implementing and evaluating an intervention to improve the rate of one-to-one conversations between staff and service users on an in-patient Ward.
  • Improving the psychological wellbeing of parents whose babies have a prenatal diagnosis requiring surgical treatment
  • The acceptability and feasibility of a psychoeducation and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy group for caregivers of individuals with First Episode Psychosis
  • Improving the process of the Stoke Mandeville Spinal Needs Assessment Checklist
  • “…a whole new way of thinking about this person”: An interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) of staff experiences of team formulation in an acute psychiatric ward.
  • “You never know who you’re gonna speak to”: Exploring Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners' Experiences of Assessing Traumatic Events.
  • Improving the Implementation of DIALOG+ in Mental Health Teams
  • Barriers and facilitators to adherence to psychological treatment for vaginismus: Oxfordshire psychosexual therapy service
  • The Experience of Staff Caring for People Admitted to ICU Following Self-Harm: Challenges and Supports
  • “It’s sometimes so overwhelming you just cry”: Understanding Staff Experiences of Compassion on an Older Adult Inpatient Ward
  • Understanding the benefits and limitations of sharing lived experience of mental health difficulties between students and tutors at the Oxfordshire Recovery College
  • Improving the experience of adults waiting for a diagnostic assessment for autism
  • Parent’s psychological preparedness for infant’s primary cleft lip or palate surgery
  • “We Are Here Too”: The Experiences and Perceived Support Needs of Adolescent Siblings of Oncology Ward Inpatients at Oxford Children’s Hospital
  • Exploring the Interface Between the Buckinghamshire Community Learning Disability Health Team and Community Mental Health Team.
  • Exploring the Efficacy and Service User Experience of a Parent-led CBT Group for Anxious Autistic Children Within a Regional CAMHS Service
  • Staff wellbeing in the Pharmacy Team in South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust.
  • Meeting the needs of neurodivergent individuals within the Psychological Therapies Step 4 DBT offer
  • Understanding and Improving Staff and Client Experiences of a Systemic Family Therapy Clinic for Older People
  • How Can the Oxford Health Staff Psychology Support Service Improve its Understanding of and Support to Oxford CAMHS Staff Who Are Experiencing, or at Risk of, Burnout?
  • Social Workers’ Experiences of Facilitators and Barriers to Matching Children with Additional Needs with Adoptive Families – A Service Improvement Project
  • Adapting the EDE-Q and the CIA for an Inpatient Population: A Service Improvement Project for an Adult Eating Disorder Service
  • Improving Confidence and Competence of Clinicians Working with Autistic Older Adults
  • To understand and increase the use of Positive Behaviour Support interventions delivered by Psychologists in Berkshire’s Older People’s Community Mental Health Teams.
  • Am I getting more help or am I just getting helped?”: Understanding the transition between Getting Help and Getting More Help from young people and their parents: a service improvement project
  • Evaluating the Strengths and Gaps of the Autism Teaching on the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology: a multi-informant approach
  • The Impact of Anti-Racism Training: Behaviour Change in Clinical Psychologists, A Service Improvement Project using the COM-B System