Master Thesis in Psychology

 

Title: Centenarians in Switzerland: Interviews and psychological assessments to investigate vulnerability and resilience in Switzerland’s oldest population

 

Contact person: Dr. Shauna Rohner (shauna.rohner@uzh.ch)

 

Project group: Chair: Prof. Mike Martin, Department of Gerontopsychology and Gerontology, Psychological Institute

 

Start date: Immediate start

 

Where to apply: All interested candidates, send your application and CV to: shauna.rohner@uzh.ch

 

Project description:

The Swiss Centenarian Study (SWISS100) is the first nationwide study on centenarians in Switzerland, aiming to understand vulnerability and resilience associated with very old age. We approach this topic from a multidisciplinary angle, combining psychology, sociology, demographics, biology, health, cognition, and psychiatry. In-person interviews with centenarians and their families will allow us to paint a detailed picture of how these aspects interact at the extreme end of the lifespan.

 

Thesis aim:

The aim of this master thesis is to better understand vulnerability and resilience associated with very old age in the Swiss population. It is part of a larger ongoing project being conducted by experts from different disciplines across the three main language regions in Switzerland.

 

Method:

The thesis will consist of interviews with centenarians and their families in the Cantons of Zurich, Bern, and Basel. Interview measures include physical tests (i.e., measuring grip strength), cognitive tests (i.e., administering tests of cognitive status), and questionnaires on demographic, social, psychological, and health aspects. The research team have already completed several interviews in this ongoing project. The successful master student will work as part of this team on the following tasks:

  • Assisting with recruitment of study participants and preparation of interviews.
  • Conducting in-person and telephone interviews with centenarians and their relatives in Cantons Zurich, Bern, and Basel.
  • Data management and interview data entry using the program REDCap.
  • Analysing the data for their master thesis.

 

Requirements:

  • We are looking for a highly motivated student, with fluent Swiss-German for the interviews, and a good level of English. The master thesis should be written in English.
  • Previous experience in conducting interviews or psychological assessments is desirable, but not necessary as training will be provided to the successful master student.

 

Literature:

  • Gomes da Rocha, C., von Gunten, A., Jopp, D., Ribeiro, O., & Verloo, H. (2021). Why centenarians' depressive symptoms must become a priority for nurses. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 22(5), 1118–1119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jamda.2021.02.002
  • SWISS100. (2023). SWISS100 – The first nationwide study on centenarians in Switzerland. https://wp.unil.ch/swiss100/
  • Zaccaria, D., Cavalli, S., Masotti, B., & Jopp, D. (2021). Loneliness and social isolation among centenarians and near-centenarians: Results from the Fordham centenarian study. Innovation in Aging, 5(Suppl 1), 110. https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igab046.416