PhD "Empowering Susceptible Youth to Use Social Media as Source on Their Mental Health Issues"

Updated: 10 months ago
Deadline: 12 Jun 2023

PhD "Empowering Susceptible Youth to Use Social Media as Source on Their Mental Health Issues"
PhD "Empowering Susceptible Youth to Use Social Media as Source on Their Mental Health Issues"
Published Deadline Location
yesterday 12 Jun Amsterdam

Job description
PhD position "Empowering susceptible youth to adequately use social media as an information source on their mental health issues "
We are looking for a motivated PhD candidate in the social and behavioural sciences for the interdisciplinary project "Empowering susceptible youth to adequately use social media as an information source on their mental health issues".
Aim of the project is to explore and address the information needs and mental health-related social media/OSV (online short videos) consumption of adolescents and emerging adults with anxiety and depression-related complaints, and identify how this media consumption is related to their mental well-being.
The PhD project has an interdisciplinary supervision team consisting of prof. dr. Bram Orobio de Castro (Developmental Psychopathology), dr. Eva van Reijmersdal, dr. Melanie de Looper, and dr. Eline Smit (Persuasive Communication). The position is embedded in the new research priority area Youth Digitality of the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences. You will be a member of the Programme Group Developmental Psychopathology. Yet, you are encouraged to join research meetings of Communication Science and Psychology as well.
The project
Aim of the project is to explore and address the information needs and mental health-related social media/OSV consumption of adolescents and emerging adults with anxiety and depression-related complaints, and identify how this media consumption is related to their mental well-being. The project includes qualitative studies and quantitative prospective longitudinal assessments of media usage (e.g., interviews, digital diary studies) and an experimental intervention study. The findings of this project will add to already existing knowledge on usage and characteristics of online health information and its effects on health-related outcomes. Furthermore, the outcomes on which type of online mental health information is related to improvements in mental well-being - and which type is not, or adversely related to mental health outcomes - will be used to develop interventions aimed at improving the mental well-being of susceptible adolescents and emerging adults.
The project is one of three PhD projects of the research priority area Youth Digitality that all start in September 2023. The PhD students and the supervisory teams of these three projects will closely collaborate and obtain (most of) their data from a joint cohort study among Dutch adolescents and emerging adults aged between 10 and 18 years.
What are you going to do?
You will:
  • complete and defend a PhD thesis within the official appointment duration of four years;
  • gain knowledge of the field through literature research, discussion with team members, and internal research meetings;
  • contribute to the design of surveys, interviews, digital diary studies, and an experimental intervention study;
  • plan, organize, and conduct data-collection, analyse and interpret results of interviews, surveys and experiments;
  • present results at local, national and international scientific meetings;
  • work in a creative research team and contribute to the vibrant academic life in Amsterdam by attending workshops, meetings, and lectures;
  • (assist in) teaching (10% of your time).

Specifications
  • max. 38 hours per week
  • Amsterdam View on Google Maps

University of Amsterdam (UvA)


Requirements
You are passionate about empirical research with youth. You enjoy working in a diverse setting, as a team player with excellent communication skills.
Your experience and profile:
  • MSc in Communication science, Pedagogics, (Clinical) Developmental Psychology, or Health Sciences; or you will obtain this degree before September 1st, 2023;
  • Affinity with (preventive) mental health in youth;
  • Experience with quantitative research methods and data analyses (preferably in R);
  • Experience with (or a strong willness to learn) qualitative research methods and data analyses;
  • Good analytical, writing, and presenting skills;
  • Good project and time management skills enabling you to meet the projects' deadlines for finishing analyses, reports and other deliverables;
  • Eager to learn new things, highly conscientious, flexible, and a collaborative attitude;
  • Fluency in English, both written and spoken;
  • Preferably fluency in Dutch, both written and spoken.
Experiences that are not necessarily required but will make an application more successful:
  • Volunteering, internship, or doing clinical interviews with youth with mental health challenges;
  • Experience with methods of digital data collection.

Conditions of employment
A challenging work environment with ample scope for individual initiative and development within an inspiring organization. You will build - together with the PhD students involved in the other two projects - on a unique ongoing longitudinal study and profit from a broad range of relevant expertise and facilities (e.g., intervention labs, family observation, social-cognitive assessment, interactive virtual reality).
The position concerns a temporary employment of 38 hours per week for a maximum term of 4 years. The initial employment is for one year. Following a positive assessment and barring altered circumstances, this term will be extended to a total duration of 4 years, which should result in the conferral of a doctorate. The preferred starting date is 1 September 2023. Based on your learning aims with regards to professional academic development, we will put together a curriculum which will also include the opportunity to attend training courses and both national and international events. You will also be tasked with teaching Bachelor students. For this position the University Job Classification profile 'Promovendus/Provenda' applies.
Your salary will be €2541 gross per month in the first year and will increase to €3247 in the final year, based on full-time employment and in keeping with the Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities . We additionally offer an extensive package of secondary benefits, including 8% holiday allowance and a year-end bonus of 8.3%.
The UvA offers excellent possibilities for further professional development and education.
Employer
Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences
The University of Amsterdam is the largest university in the Netherlands, with the broadest spectrum of degree programmes. It is an intellectual hub with 39,000 students, 6,000 employees and 3,000 doctoral students who are all committed to a culture of inquiring minds.
The project is embedded in the Department of Child Development and Education, which offers a range of Bachelor's and Master's degree programs in the field of developmental psychopathology and education, while its research is embedded in the Research Institute of Child Development and Education, and the research priority areas Youth Digitality, Real Emotions, Healthy Future, and Urban Mental Health. In research and education we cooperate closely with societal partners, such as clients, mental health care, schools, correctional institutions, and municipalities.
About the faculty
The social and behavioural sciences play a leading role in addressing the major societal challenges faced by the world, the Netherlands and Amsterdam, now and in the future. To work at the University of Amsterdam is to work in a discerning, independent, creative, innovative and international climate characterized by an open atmosphere and a genuine engagement with the city of Amsterdam and society.
Want to know more about our organisation? Read more about working at the University of Amsterdam.
Additional information
Do you have any questions, or do you require additional information? Please contact: A description of the PhD-project is available upon request.
Working at UvA

The University of Amsterdam is ambitious, creative and committed: a leader in international science and a partner in innovation, the UvA has been inspiring generations since 1632.


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Application procedure
Do you recognize yourself in the job profile? Then we look forward to receiving your application by June 12th 2023. You may apply online by using the link below.
Applications in 1 bundled pdf should include:
  • a letter of motivation, including a description of your fit for the position (max one page);
  • an academic Curriculum Vitae (no longer than 3 pages). On your CV include the names and email addresses of two references who can provide letters of recommendation, in case necessary later on in the process (no letters of recommendation at this point).
Interviews with shortlisted candidates are expected to take place in the mornings of June 22nd or 26th 2023.

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