PhD Position on Mental Disorders as Harmful Stable States Leiden University in Netherlands

The Institute of Psychology at Leiden University, in collaboration with the departments of Clinical Psychology and Methodology & Statistics, is offering a fully funded PhD position as part of the NWO Zwaartekracht consortium 'New Science of Mental Disorders'. This four-year project investigates the concept of mental disorders as harmful stable states, focusing on network theory and dynamical systems approaches to mental health. The research aims to empirically test whether mental health problems can become self-maintaining attractor states, where symptoms, behaviors, and contextual factors reinforce each other over time. Using intensive longitudinal patient data and single-case experimental designs, the project will identify recurring within-person mental health states, study their persistence and transitions, and examine their predictive value for outcomes such as relapse, comorbidity, symptom severity, and functioning. The final phase will leverage network-informed interventions to improve treatment outcomes based on attractor state information.

The PhD candidate will join a large interdisciplinary team and be supervised by Prof. Dr. Eiko Fried (Leiden University), Prof. Dr. Janna Cousijn (Erasmus University Rotterdam), Dr. Jonas Haslbeck (University of Amsterdam), and Dr. Bart Verkuil (Leiden University). The position offers opportunities for creative input and participation in various research schools and consortium activities, fostering interdisciplinary exchange in mental health science, network science, time-series analysis, and complexity science.

Leiden University's Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences is renowned for its diverse research topics, innovative teaching approaches, and supportive professional environment. The Institute of Psychology is committed to leading behavioral science research and education, emphasizing themes such as Health and Wellbeing, Social-Cognitive-Affective Decision Making, Development and Learning, and Advanced Behavioral Science Methods. The faculty values diversity, inclusion, open science, and interdisciplinarity, providing a safe and inclusive environment for academic growth.

Applicants must hold a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology, Quantitative Psychology, Statistics, Data Science, or a related field, with strong analytic and statistical skills, ideally in time-series data and statistical programming. Fluency in English and excellent interpersonal skills are required. Experience with ecological momentary assessment, interdisciplinary research, network models, systems science, complexity science, and open science practices is desirable. Candidates must be willing to reside in the Netherlands and undergo pre-employment screening.

The position offers a competitive salary (€3059 - €3881 gross per month), holiday and end-of-year bonuses, pension scheme, reimbursement of commuting costs, flexible working hours, generous leave, hybrid working options, home-working allowance, and provision of a laptop and mobile phone. The appointment starts with a one-year contract, extendable for three additional years upon positive evaluation.

To apply, submit a CV with two academic references and a 1-page motivation letter via the application link. The deadline is 6 August 2026. For content enquiries, contact Prof. Dr. Eiko Fried; for procedural enquiries, contact Mariska Moreu. For further details on employment conditions and application procedures, visit the university website.