Welcome to the study!

Thank you for your interest. Before you decide to take part in the study please take the time to read the following information.

This project is being undertaken (as part of an MSc degree; on behalf of Merel Baars) by/within the Institute of Work, Health & Organisations (I-WHO), which is a postgraduate institute of applied psychology at the University of Nottingham in the UK.

The overall purpose of the project is to increase our knowledge about online support groups and how they help people living with HIV. The information gained from this study may help us to develop further the information and services provided for people living with HIV.

If you agree to participate in this study you will be asked to complete a questionnaire that asks questions about your use of HIV-related online support groups, how you deal with stressful events, your perceptions of social support, and your health. It will take you approximately 10-15 minutes to complete the questionnaire.

Participation in the study is entirely voluntary. You may discontinue participation at any time. If you decide to take part you are still free to withdraw at any time without giving a reason.

This questionnaire asks about your own experiences. In completing the questionnaire, please be honest and frank; there are no right or wrong answers. Should you experience any form of distress while completing the questionnaire, you should approach your general practitioner.

Identifiable personal details have deliberately been omitted to ensure anonymity of responses. Your responses will be kept secure and private. Only the researchers will have access to the data; any printouts or disks containing the data will be stored in a locked file. All information collected during the course of the study will be kept strictly confidential. Any personal comments from the returned questionnaires that are used in project reports or academic papers will be quoted anonymously and anything that might identify you will be removed.

This study has been subject to ethical review by the Institute of Work, Health and Organisations Ethics Committee to ensure that the study is conducted in an ethically appropriate manner.

If you wish to receive information about the results of the study, please provide your email address at the end of the questionnaire.

We hope that you will find the questionnaire interesting.
Thank you for your time and assistance. If you require more information about the study, please contact any member of the research team below.

Research team :
Merel Baars, BSc
lwxmb3@nottingham.ac.uk

Dr. Neil Coulson
Neil.coulson@nottingham.ac.uk