Prospective Research Participant Information
Department of Psychology
Royal Holloway, University of London
Project Title: The Relationship Between Chronic Pain, Mental Health & Psychosocial Factors in Young Adults
Principal Investigator: Dr Danijela Serbic
Interim Supervisor: Dr Nuno Nodin
Research Team: Millie Maree, Oliver Sefton, Yagmur Ozyurek
Introduction
You are being invited to take part in a research project that aims to investigate young people experiencing chronic pain. Before you decide to consent to take part it is important for you to understand why the research is taking place and what your participation will involve. Please take time to read the following information carefully and discuss it with others if you wish. Ask us if there is anything that is not clear or if you would like more information. Please consider carefully whether you wish to consent to take part.
Why is this research being conducted?
We are interested in exploring the relationship between chronic pain, mental health, and psychosocial factors in young adults.
Why have I been invited to take part?
We would appreciate your participation because this study will allow us to better understand the relationship between chronic pain, mental health, and psychosocial factors in young adults so that potential interventions can be developed to improve the quality of life and mental health of those who suffer from chronic pain.
Do I have to take part?
You do not have to take part in this study if you don’t want to. If you decide to take part, you may withdraw at any time without having to give a reason. If you are a student, your decision whether or not to take part will not affect your education in any way. If you wish to withdraw your data after completing the study, please contact one of the researchers with the personal identification number (5 digit code) that will be given to you at the start of the study. We will be able to withdraw your data up until the 1st June 2025.
What will my participation involve?
If you decide to take part, we will ask you to complete a questionnaire asking questions about chronic pain and mental health. This will take around 15 minutes and will be completed online.
What are the possible disadvantages and risks in taking part, and how might these be mitigated?
Some of these questions may be of sensitive nature, which we understand may cause the participant some distress or increase awareness of physical pain. To mitigate this, we will provide sources of support at the end of this study.
Are there any benefits in taking part?
As we understand your time is valuable, you can choose at the end of the study to be entered into a prize draw for a chance of winning one of three Amazon vouchers, worth £25 each, for your participation.
What information about me will be collected and why is the collection of this information relevant for achieving the research objectives?
We will be collecting data about your experiences with chronic pain, mental health, pain disability, diagnostic uncertainty, sensitivity to pain traumatisation, pain-related guilt, pain acceptance, as well as demographic data. Using this data, we will be able to investigate the relationships between these concepts in order to better understand them and help to further support the mental health of those experiencing chronic pain.
How will the results of my participation be used? Will the research be published? Could I be identified from any publications or other research outputs?
Nobody except ourselves, our supervisors, and an examiner will be allowed to see your files/questionnaires and in the study, you will be known only by number. So, the information is completely confidential. Copies of this anonymous information may be made available again in the future for further research, or provided to other bodies for their future research. This project may be written up for publication or used in presentations at conferences. Your involvement in the study will not be made apparent and all data is fully anonymized.
Who do I contact if I have a concern about the research or I wish to complain?
Dr Danijela Serbic (Principal Investigator): danijela.serbic@rhul.ac.uk
Dr Nuno Nodin (Interim Supervisor): Nuno.Nodin@rhul.ac.uk
Oliver Sefton: Oliver.Sefton.2020@live.rhul.ac.uk
Millie Maree: Millie.Maree.2024@live.rhul.ac.uk
Yagmur Ozyurek: Yagmur.Ozyurek.2024@live.rhul.ac.uk
Ethical Approval
This research has been submitted to the Ethics Committee of the Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London, and reviewed in accordance to with the ethical guidelines and standards set forth by the committee, ensuring compliance with relevant institutional and regulatory frameworks.
General Data Protection Regulation Statement
Important General Data Protection Regulation information (GDPR). Royal Holloway, University of London is the sponsor for this study and is based in the UK. We will be using information from you in order to undertake this study and will act as the data controller for this study. This means that we are responsible for looking after your information and using it properly. Any data you provide during the completion of the study will be stored securely on hosted on servers within the European Economic Area’. Royal Holloway is designated as a public authority and in accordance with the Royal Holloway and Bedford New College Act 1985 and the Statutes which govern the College, we conduct research for the public benefit and in the public interest. Royal Holloway has put in place appropriate technical and organisational security measures to prevent your personal data from being accidentally lost, used or accessed in any unauthorised way or altered or disclosed. Royal Holloway has also put in place procedures to deal with any suspected personal data security breach and will notify you and any applicable regulator of a suspected breach where legally required to do so. To safeguard your rights, we will use the minimum personally-identifiable information possible (i.e., the email address you provide us). The lead researcher will keep your contact details confidential and will use this information only as required (i.e., to provide a summary of the study results if requested and/or for the prize draw). The lead researcher will keep information about you and data gathered from the study, the duration of which will depend on the study. Certain individuals from RHUL may look at your research records to check the accuracy of the research study. If the study is published in a relevant peer-reviewed journal, the anonymised data may be made available to third parties. The people who analyse the information will not be able to identify you. You can find out more about your rights under the GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018 by visiting https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/about-us/more/governance-and-strategy/data-protection/ and if you wish to exercise your rights, please contact dataprotection@royalholloway.ac.uk NB: You may retain this information sheet for reference and contact us with any queries.