PhD: Tele-support for family caregivers in dementia

University of Huddersfield offers a PhD scholarship to design and evaluate tele support for dementia family caregivers in Ghana.

Dementia caregiving in Ghana is predominantly informal, with family members providing long-term care in the absence of structured support systems. This places substantial psychological, financial, and social burdens on caregivers, often without access to professional guidance or respite services. Tele-support systems, defined as the use of digital platforms such as mobile applications, teleconsultations, and messaging services, offer a scalable approach to bridging gaps in caregiver support. In Ghana, increasing mobile phone penetration presents an opportunity to deploy tele-support interventions tailored to sociocultural contexts. However, evidence on their acceptability and effectiveness among family caregivers remains limited. This study addresses this gap through the design and evaluation of a culturally appropriate tele-support intervention, contributing to digital health research and policy in resource-constrained settings.

Aims/Objectives

Aim: To evaluate the acceptability and effectiveness of a culturally tailored tele-support system for family caregivers of persons living with dementia in Ghana.

Objectives:

1. To co-develop a tele-support intervention with key stakeholders, including family caregivers, healthcare professionals, and digital health experts.
2. To assess the acceptability, usability, and engagement with the tele-support system among family caregivers.
3. To determine the effectiveness of the intervention in reducing family caregiver burden, improving mental health outcomes, and enhancing caregiving competence.
4. To identify facilitators and barriers to the implementation and scale-up of tele-support systems in Ghana.

Methods: This study will adopt a sequential mixed-methods design. Phase one will involve participatory co-design of the tele-support system with family caregivers and healthcare professionals, incorporating remote consultations, education, peer support, and symptom monitoring. Phase two will use a quasi-experimental design comparing intervention and standard care groups. Phase three will employ qualitative interviews and focus group discussions to explore user experiences, acceptability, and implementation challenges, alongside quantitative data analysis to inform scalability and sustainability.

For subject specific enquiries please contact: Dr Precious Adade Duodu via p.a.duodu@hud.ac.uk

We encourage you to discuss your ideas with potential supervisors in advance of application.

Type of Award: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Eligibility: These scholarships are open to UK applicants only; ideally with an MSc in a relevant subject area, applicants with a First-Class Honours degree may also be considered.

Location: Huddersfield/Online

Funding: Fee waiver

Duration: 3 years full-time / 6 years part-time

Application Details

To apply please submit the documents listed below to pgrscholarships@hud.ac.uk in full by Friday 30^th October 2026, including the following documents:

• A motivational email as to why you wish to apply for the scholarship, stating which project you are applying for.
• A 2,000-word research proposal outlining how you plan to undertake for the research topic you are applying for. For further guidance on writing a research proposal, please refer to the following webpage: https://www.hud.ac.uk/postgraduate/research/writing-a-research-proposal/
• Full CV
• Provide copies of transcripts and certificates of all relevant academic and/or any professional qualifications.
• Provide references from two individuals – (at least one to be an academic reference) please contact your referees and ask them to send your references directly to pgrscholarships@hud.ac.uk from their work email address. (references can be submitted late but must be received by Friday 6^th November 2026).
• Proof of eligibility – e.g. scan of passport photo page
• Please state the research topic number and title in the subject area of the email

Please email pgrscholarships@hud.ac.uk with queries regarding eligibility and submitting documents. Informal enquiries about individual projects should be directed to the lead supervisor listed for each project.