Applications are currently being invited for this fully funded PhD opportunity in the Discipline of Occupational Therapy.

Individuals with ill-health or disability can often experience symptoms and difficulties that negatively affect their ability to perform parenting roles. Chronic conditions including inflammatory arthritis can fluctuate and vary in symptom severity and disease trajectory. This unpredictability in health can further negatively influence the experience and enjoyment of providing the care, nurture, play, and educational aspects of the parent role. Individuals with inflammatory arthritis who are parents have highlighted parenting as an important occupational role and a priority for living well, and they have identified that they would like support with this parenting role from occupational therapists as part of healthcare delivery.

The overall aim of this project is to design and assess the feasibility of a parent-focused intervention to support parenting for individuals living with inflammatory arthritis.

This PhD project comprises four work packages:

  1. To explore the barriers and facilitators to parenting with inflammatory arthritis using a qualitative-descriptive design.
  2. A systematic review and meta-analysis reviewing interventions that support parenting for those with inflammatory arthritis.
  3. A consensus study to prioritise intervention content and delivery
  4. To test the developed programme for feasibility and acceptability to the clinical cohort.

Individual work package findings and the composite findings of this study will provide important insights into the scale of understanding and needs of individuals with inflammatory arthritis who are parents.

This PhD opportunity will be supervised by Dr Yvonne Codd and is funded by the Trinity Research Doctorate Awards.

The award is open to EU and non-EU applicants and includes fully funded fees and an annual tax-free stipend of €25,000 for four years starting September 2024.

Applicants must hold an undergraduate qualification in occupational therapy.

Applications can be made by sending a CV and cover letter to Dr Yvonne Codd (coddy@tcd.ie)

Closing date for applications 2nd August 2024