Dementia and mental health: the use of artificial intelligence to support people living with dementia and/or care partners in rural areas

About the project

About the Project There are currently around 982,000 people with dementia in the UK with the number expected to rise to 1.4 million by 2040. With the number of people over 65 years old set to grow by around 50% in rural areas by 2039 (All Party Action Group on Dementia, 2023) a significant proportion will be affected by dementia. There are a number of challenges in terms of accessing health and social care in rural areas largely relating to transport links and access to the internet for example. There is also an increased risk of dementia due to social isolation and loneliness. This can impact greatly on people living with dementia and care partners not least on their mental health. For people living with dementia lack of social connection, appropriate support and issues relating to stigma can impact on cognitive decline and mental health. For care partners there can be high levels of stress, anxiety, and depression (Evans et al, 2018). In addition, psychiatric disorders are associated with an increased risk of developing dementia (Baudouin, 2025) and people living with dementia and mental health conditions are at an increased risk of suicide outcomes (Medeisyte et al, 2025). It should be noted that there are perceived benefits of living in a rural area including support from extended family and the wider community as well as potential closer relationships with health and social care providers (Roberts et al, 2024). Since there is no cure for dementia, early diagnosis and availability of personalized care and support are essential for people living with dementia of life and care partners to enjoy the best possible quality of life in their communities. There is a link between above-average rural living and underdiagnosis (All Party Action Group on Dementia, 2023) which means that many will not be receiving any support at all. Technology can play a vital role in pre- and post-diagnosis support for people affected by dementia as well as increasing the effectiveness of those working in health and social care who support them. This may be particularly important in rural areas notwithstanding the challenges around connectivity. In-line with the findings from the recent systematic review of systematic reviews, technologies for community-dwelling people with dementia (Neal, Cross, Evans et al, 2025), future research in this area should prioritize emerging artificial intelligence applications. It also links closely to the recent launch of the Dementia Patient Flow Research and Innovation (R&I) Challenge (UK Government 2025). This PhD is based on a broad landscape of people living with dementia and/or care partners living in rural areas, mental health issues and the use/potential use of artificial intelligence to support them. Applicants will have the opportunity to work with a multi-disciplinary team of supervisors to develop their own pathway through, and to contribute new knowledge to, this complex but crucial area of research. Supervisory Team Director of Studies: Dr Shirley Evans Supervisors: Dr Chris Bowers Advisors: Researchers from the Rural Mental Health Research Unit (Thrive) Research Groups: Association for Dementia Studies Digital Innovation Research Group Rural Mental Health Research Unit (Thrive) Application Process To begin the application process please go to: https://www.worc.ac.uk/research/research-degrees/applying-for-a-phd/ . The Interview All successful applicants will be offered an interview with the proposed Supervisory Team. You will be contacted by a member of the Doctoral School Team to find a suitable date. Interviews can be conducted in person or over Microsoft Teams. Funding your PhD For information about Doctoral Loans please visit: https://www.worc.ac.uk/study/feesand-finance/doctoral-loans.aspx During your PhD you can access the Research Conference Support Scheme to support the costs of presenting your research at an external conference. Research at the University of Worcester Research is central to the University’s mission to make a difference in everything that we do. We are committed to delivering excellent research which extends the boundaries of human knowledge but which also improves people’s lives by enabling better health outcomes, improving food security, developing environmentally sustainable solutions for crop production and socially sustainable solutions to our ageing population, enhancing public knowledge and understanding of the past and present. The University hence focuses its research around five high-level challenges facing society, locally, nationally and globally: Human Health and Wellbeing Sustainable Futures Digital Innovation Culture, Identity and Social Exclusion Professional Education The success of our research is reflected in our continuous improvement in external research assessment processes. In the most recent Research Excellence Framework, REF 2021, the University saw a near 50% increase in the scale of its research and 12% increase in quality, building on its performance in REF 2014 when it was the UK’s most improved university in terms of Research Power, a combination of scale and quality. Research Degrees at Worcester Our research students are central to our overall mission for research. They are working at the cutting edge of their disciplines and driving forward the quality of our research whilst enriching our research culture. We are looking to increase our research student numbers as a strategic imperative. Our commitment to our students is reflected in the results of the Postgraduate Research Experience Survey 2023 in which we ranked 3rd for overall research student satisfaction nationally. Key to our success in his area is the Doctoral School, a focal point for all our research students. It provides: day-to-day support for our students, both administrative and practical, through our dedicated team a Research Student Study Space with both PCs and laptop docking station a comprehensive Researcher Development Programme for students and their supervisors a programme of student-led conferences and seminars Widening Participation As part of its mission statement the University is committed to widening participation for its higher degrees. Although most candidates will have an undergraduate and/or a Masters degree, the University is happy to accept applications from candidates with relevant professional qualifications and work related experience. For further information or an informal discussion on this project, please contact Dr Shirley Evans shirley.evans@worc.ac.uk

Research areas