Targeting Social Identity Integration in Voice Hearers
Participant Information Sheet
Central University Research Ethics Committee Approval Reference: R94296/RE001You are being invited to take part in a research project. Before you decide it is important for you to understand why the research is being done and what it will involve. Please take time to read the following information carefully and discuss it with others if you wish. Ask us (using the contact details below) if there is anything that is not clear or if you would like more information. Take time to decide whether you wish to take part.
Why is this research being conducted? The purpose of this research study is to find out more about
social identity integration for people who hear voices, that is how your identity as a voice hearer fits with your sense of who you are as a person. Therefore, please understand that this study will ask you questions about your experience of being a voice hearer. Social identity is the way we see ourselves based on our sense of belonging to important social groups in our life. Social groups can be based on a range of things – your age, job, political views, religion, sport, hobby or health condition. ‘Identity integration’ refers to how well these different identities fit together to form your whole identity. For example, being an animal lover and vegetarian fit well together whereas being an environmentalist and travel enthusiast might fit less well together. For some people who hear voices, being a voice hearer becomes an important social identity for them i.e. feeling they are a member of the wider group of people who hear voices is important to their self-concept. We are interested in understanding how hearing other people who identify as voice hearers talk about their voice hearing identity and self-concept affects identity variables and wellbeing in others.
Why have I been invited to take part? You have been invited to this study as:
- you are aged 18+ years
- you are a resident of the UK/Republic of Ireland
- you self-identify as hearing voices
- you do not have a moderate/severe learning disability
- you are fluent in English
- you feel well enough at present to participate and give informed consent.
We are looking to include 90 people in our study in total.
Do I have to take part? No. It is up to you to decide whether to take part. You can withdraw yourself from the research, without giving a reason, and without negative consequences, by advising me/us of this decision or aborting the online session. Once you have completed the session, your data will be added to an anonymised database at which point it will not be possible to withdraw your data.
What will happen to me if I take part in the research? If you choose to take part in this study, it will involve opening a link to a survey on a website called Qualtrics at a time that is convenient for you. When you open this link, consent will be taken via the Qualtrics website. Qualtrics will guide you through and overall participation is expected to take 20 minutes. If you would like support with accessing the link and to have someone present throughout the session to support you, a Microsoft Teams call can be arranged with the researcher, however this is optional. If you would like this, please email roisin.quinn@hmc.ox.ac.uk to book a mutually convenient time. If you choose this option, consent may be taken verbally.
The research is a one-off session and will be completed in one go. It will involve completing initial questionnaires on the webpage, then watching a short video, then completing some more questions afterwards. Some of the questionnaires relate to wellbeing and identifying as a voice hearer, and therefore may be sensitive. If you need a break during the session, you can pause after the initial questionnaires. Ideally after watching the video, you can keep going until you have completed the follow-up questionnaires - these should not take long and it is helpful if these are completed immediately after watching the video. No follow up sessions will be necessary after the initial one. Please remember that you can exit the surveys, or Microsoft Teams call, at any time if you wish.
What are the possible disadvantages and risks in taking part? We do not anticipate any risks in taking part in this study. Some of the questions asked will relate to your wellbeing, mental health, and voice hearing, and the video you watch will relate to voice hearing. Thinking about your personal experience may cause you to feel distressed. You are free to stop at any time during the study, and free to withdraw afterwards. If you feel upset after completing the study or find that some questions or aspects of the study triggered distress, talking with a qualified clinician (e.g. your GP) may help. Information about support organisations will be given in Qualtrics and via a debrief document at the end of the study.
Are there any benefits in taking part? We hope you will find the video interesting and engaging! While there may be no immediate benefits for those people participating in the project, it is hoped that this research will lead to a better understanding of social identity integration in voice hearers. This may provide insights into what is important to include in an intervention to support voice hearers with their wellbeing. Study results will be shared via a non-technical report and/or infographic with organisations and charities that supported recruitment.
Expenses and payments Unfortunately, as this is a research project part of a professional doctorate degree, there is no funding to pay participants, so there will be no payment for taking part in this research.
What information will be collected and why is the collection of this information relevant for achieving the research objectives? We are interested in your experiences of social identity and wellbeing. The information you provide will help us better understand voice hearing identity, and how the integration of this into self-concept relates to wellbeing. We will collect your demographic information (including ethnicity and data on your mental health history and current experience of voices). The researcher and supervisors will have access to the research data. Identifiable data (your email address) will only be collected if you choose to complete a video call, and this will be deleted after the video call. Other research data will be stored for 3 years after publication or public release of the work of the research. This will be stored on a password-protected University server.
Will the research be published? Could I be identified from any publications or other research outputs? The findings from the research will be written up in a thesis and in a journal article and presented at conferences. It will not be possible for participants to be identifiable from the outputs. A copy of my thesis will be deposited both in print and online in the Oxford University Research Archive where it will be publicly available to facilitate its use in future research.
Data Protection The University of Oxford is the data controller with respect to your personal data, and as such will determine how your personal data is used in the research. The University will process your personal data for the purpose of the research outlined above. Research is a task that is performed in the public interest. Further information about your rights with respect to your personal data is available from the University’s Information Compliance website at https://compliance.admin.ox.ac.uk/individual-rights.
Who is funding the research? This research is funded by National Health Service England through the Oxford Institute of Clinical Psychology Training and Research.
Who has reviewed this research? This research has received ethics approval from a subcommittee of the University of Oxford Central University Research Ethics Committee. (Ethics reference: R94296/RE001).
Who do I contact if I have a concern about the research or I wish to complain? If you have a concern about any aspect of this research, please contact Roisin Quinn at roisin.quinn@hmc.ox.ac.uk or 01865 223 771 or Lorna Hogg at Lorna.hogg@hmc.ox.ac.uk, and we will do our best to answer your query. We will acknowledge your concern within 10 working days and give you an indication of how it will be dealt with. If you remain unhappy or wish to make a formal complaint, please contact the University of Oxford Research Governance, Ethics & Assurance (RGEA) team at rgea.complaints@admin.ox.ac.uk or on 01865 616480.
Further Information and Contact Details If you would like to discuss the research with someone beforehand (or if you have questions afterwards), please contact:
Roisin Quinn
Oxford Institute of Clinical Psychology Training and Research
Isis Education Centre
Warneford Hospital
Headington
Oxford
OX3 7JX
University tel: 01865 226 431
University email: roisin.quinn@hmc.ox.ac.uk
We can also provide an easy-read version of this document, or book a Microsoft Teams call to support you to participate.