Thinking of undertaking research?
If you work in the NHS or an allied field, you may be wondering what's involved in undertaking a research degree. This page and the others in this section (under 'Research in Mental Health' at the left of this text) may give you some information to help you decide.
Isn't research just for academics?
For NHS mental health staff, a research project is a great opportunity to develop skills and knowledge in areas such as:
- Project management
- Independence and self-direction
- Information retrieval, analyis and presentation
- Enhanced clinical and managerial knowledge and skills
- Thinking and acting systematically, rigorously and critically
- Technical skills such as statistics or running focus groups
For some people this may be the beginning of a research career, but most return to practice or management with an increased skill set, knowledge, confidence and vision. This promotes the wellbeing of their patients and services as well as being a helpful career progression.
Why the Mental Health section?
The section has an established record of syccessfully supporting NHS staff and others through Masters, MPhil and doctoral research degrees (MD and PhD). The professional backgrounds of section staff include psychiatry, nursing, clinical psychology, occupational therapy and teaching. Many staff retain senior clinical posts in the NHS which gives them a foot in the 'real' world of practice. Most also have further experience and training in some form of psychological therapy such as psychoanalytic psychotherapy, cognitive analytic therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy or the arts therapies.
What are the options?
Many NHS staff and others with professional qualifications may be able to register directly for an MPhil research degree, during the course of which they can apply for an upgrade to an MD (for medical staff) or a PhD. Those who want to start with something less ambitious could consider a ScHARR taught Masters degree which could be an end in itself or a stepping stone to a research degree.