Understanding and addressing inequalities in the cancer diagnostic pathway for people with anxiety and/or depression. MRC GW4 BioMed DTP PhD studentship 2024/25 Entry, PhD in Medicine at University of Exeter

Project title: 

Understanding and addressing inequalities in the cancer diagnostic pathway for people with anxiety and/or depression. MRC GW4 BioMed DTP PhD studentship 2024/25 Entry, PhD in Medicine

The GW4 BioMed2 MRC DTP is offering up to 22 funded studentships across a range of biomedical disciplines, with a start date of October 2024.

These four-year studentships provide funding for fees and stipend at the rate set by the UK Research Councils, as well as other research training and support costs, and are available to UK and International students.

About the GW4 BioMed2 Doctoral Training Partnership

The partnership brings together the Universities of Bath, Bristol, Cardiff (lead) and Exeter to develop the next generation of biomedical researchers. Students will have access to the combined research strengths, training expertise and resources of the four research-intensive universities, with opportunities to participate in interdisciplinary and ‘team science’. The DTP already has over 90 studentships over 6 cohorts in its first phase, along with 38 students over 2 cohorts in its second phase.

The 80 projects available for application, are aligned to the following themes;

Applications open on 4th September 2023 and close at 5.00pm on 1st November 2023.

Studentships will be 4 years full time. Part time study is also available.

Project Information

Research Theme: Population Health Science

Summary:

This multi-disciplinary PhD builds on Exeter and Cardiff research aiming to advance our understanding of the barriers, facilitators and decision- making processes for people with anxiety and/or depression who are referred by their GP to secondary care for cancer tests. This high-quality, practice- and policy-relevant research aims to develop an intervention to reduce inequalities in the cancer diagnostic pathway experienced by people with anxiety and/or depression.

Description:

Background Pre-existing anxiety and depression are associated with poor cancer outcomes. Our SPOCC Study (SPOtting Cancer among Comorbidities, NIHR201070) reports diagnostic disadvantage among patients with anxiety and/or depression, with these patients more likely to visit their GP three+ times prior to referral, be diagnosed via non- urgent referral (i.e. via emergency departments), and die within 30 days of diagnosis. This suggests that barriers to accessing the cancer diagnostic pathway in the transition from primary to secondary care could be one factor contributing to poor outcomes. Patient and Public Involvement for the OSCA study (NIHR School for Primary Care Research grant 641) highlighted influences of cancer fear/fatalism conflating anxiety and low mood/motivation due to depression (unable ‘to get out of bed’). Pilot interviews from the OSCA study will inform the development of a survey instrument for use in choice modelling in this PhD.

Research question – Does anxiety and/or depression impact decision-making processes to attend secondary care for testing following primary care referral for suspected cancer? If so, how does anxiety and/or depression impact decision-making and what interventions can we develop to facilitate attendance in secondary care?