This PhD will be the first national study of who receives psychosocial interventions in English drug and alcohol services, and of why provision differs between places. It starts from an idea in health economics: that this kind of care is supply-sensitive, meaning that what someone receives depends on what local services can provide and not on need alone. Fewer trained staff in rural and coastal areas, and differences in local funding and commissioning, may leave people with similar needs facing unequal access.
The project has four parts:
- A systematic review of international evidence on the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions delivered through drug and alcohol services, and on which types work best.
- Analysis of national data from the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS), covering everyone entering treatment in England, to establish who receives a psychosocial intervention and whether receiving one is associated with better treatment outcomes.
- A geographical analysis of how access differs between rural, coastal and urban areas, using multilevel models to separate the influence of the individual from that of the treatment provider, and Geographic Information Systems to map where provision falls short of need.
- Qualitative interviews with service users and providers in the Northwest of England, to understand their experiences of this care and what shapes it.
You will be trained in applied quantitative methods, including multilevel modelling, decomposition analysis and spatial analysis, alongside systematic review and qualitative methods. The supervisory team spans health economics, biostatistics and addiction epidemiology, and the project is supported by an advisory group including national leads at Change Grow Live, the largest drug and alcohol provider in England, and the Department of Health and Social Care team who wrote the alcohol treatment guidelines.
The findings will show commissioners which areas have high need but low provision and will inform the design of interventions to close that gap. The studentship sits within the Lancaster Mental Health Research Group, joining a cohort of funded PhD students working on severe and complex mental health difficulties and inequities in access to care.
Applicants should hold a minimum upper second-class honours degree in economics, health economics, statistics, epidemiology, public health, psychology or a related discipline. A Master's degree is desirable, as is experience of quantitative data analysis in Stata or R. Only home students are eligible for this studentship.
Expected start date: 1st January 2027
For informal discussions and queries in advance of applying, please contact: Dr Tom Mason, t.mason5@lancaster.ac.uk
To apply, please send your CV (max 2 pages) including x2 references and cover letter (outlining your interest in this PhD and qualifications) Email: Dr Tom Mason, t.mason5@lancaster.ac.uk by 25th September 2026. Expected interview date: week commencing 19th October 2026
Funding Notes
This studentship covers
- UK tuition Fees
- Bench fees (up to £4000)
- Stipend (£21,805 per annum)
