Dear participant,
The School of Psychology (University of Adelaide) and Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology (Royal Adelaide Hospital) invite you to participate in a survey exploring interest in psychological support for people with hepatitis C. Many people experience difficulties coping with the psychological or emotional impact of hepatitis C at times, and this research hopes to help investigate ways of supporting these people. Your participation in this project may help us improve treatment and support options for people with hepatitis C.
This research has been approved by the Human Research Ethics Committees of the Royal Adelaide Hospital and University of Adelaide, South Australia.
Participating in this study will involve completing a brief survey which will take approximately 10 minutes. This survey will assess:
(1) Basic demographic information;
(2) How acceptable you would find various types of psychological support;
(3) Your history of access to psychological support;
(4) Various characteristics of your medical history; and
(5) Various psychosocial characteristics.
This is a voluntary research project. You do not have to be involved and may withdraw from the project at any stage, and this will not affect your medical care now or in the future. If you do decide to participate, your personal data will be treated confidentially and you will not be personally identified in any published results. Your data will be stored securely in the School of Psychology at the University of Adelaide.
There is no foreseeable risk for you in this study and it is not anticipated that completing the survey will cause you any distress. However, if you are feeling distressed at any point you are free to cease your involvement. If participating in this research does distress you, a number of support services are available which will be outlined on the next page.
Your participation in this survey may help us improve treatment and support options for people with hepatitis C and enhance their outcomes. However, you should be aware that you may not directly benefit from taking part in this survey.
If you have any questions about the research, or would prefer to complete a paper version of the survey, you can contact the primary researcher, Mr Benjamin Stewart, by phone on (08) 8313 3136, by e-mail at benjamin.j.stewart@adelaide.edu.au, or by mail at The School of Psychology, University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide South Australia 5005.
If you wish to speak to someone not directly involved in the study about your rights as a volunteer, or about the conduct of the study, you may also contact the Chairperson, Research Ethics Committee, Royal Adelaide Hospital on 8222 4139.
This research is conducted according to the NHMRC National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research, 2007.