Consent to Participate in Anonymous Online Survey
Study Title: Survey of individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) who take psychedelics
We are asking you to take part in a research study being done by researchers at the University of Minnesota.
Being in this study is optional. If you choose to be in the study, you will complete a survey and your answers will help us to learn more about the experiences of people living with a spinal cord injury (SCI). We are investigating how these people have used psychedelic substances and about how these experiences may impact their health. The main goal of this study is to help ensure that the experiences of people living with SCI are included in psychedelic research, making it more likely that, once psychedelic treatments become available, they will be developed with diverse groups of people in mind. The researchers also intend to publish the results from this study in the scientific literature and to present results at scientific meetings. The survey will take up to 20 minutes to complete. You will have to complete the entire survey in one sitting.
You will be asked questions about your past psychedelic use, your health, and your symptoms. Some of these questions may be sensitive in nature and may cause unpleasant emotions or memories. If you are having suicidal thoughts while you are filling out this survey, and if you feel in crisis, you can call 911 and/or a Nationwide Suicide Hotline that is answered 24 hours a day with a skilled, trained counselor. One example is the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Please try to be as open and honest as you can when completing this survey. We also understand that there may be some questions that make you uncomfortable, and you do not have to answer these questions if you don't want to. If there are questions that you do not wish to answer, you can skip the question by selecting the option "prefer not to answer."
You can also stop the survey at any time if you no longer wish to participate in this study. If you exit the survey before it is completed, your participation will end, and all of your answers will be deleted.
At the end of the survey, you will be given a final option to submit your survey. You must select "Yes" in order to submit your responses.
This survey is anonymous and there is no way for anyone to find out your identity or which answers are yours. Please do not include your name or other information that could be used to identify you or anyone else in the survey responses.
If you would like to participate in our research studies in the future, at the end of the survey you will be provided with a link to a separate site where you can send us your information. Your answers on the psychedelic survey will remain anonymous.
Certificate of Confidentiality
To help protect your privacy, the National Institutes of Health has granted a Certificate of Confidentiality. The researchers can use this Certificate legally to refuse to disclose information that may identify you in any federal, state, or local civil, criminal, administrative, legislative, or other proceedings, for example, if there is a court subpoena. The researchers will use the Certificate to resist any demands for information that would identify you, except as explained below. It is unclear if the Certificate will work in foreign countries. The Certificate does not prevent a researcher from reporting information learned in research when required by other state or federal laws, such as mandatory reports to local health authorities for abuse or neglect of children/vulnerable adults, or information to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) when required in an FDA audit. However, the Certificate limits the researcher from disclosing such information in follow up civil, criminal, legislative or administrative legal proceedings if the information was created or compiled for purposes of the research. You also should understand that a Certificate of Confidentiality does not prevent you or a member of your family from voluntarily releasing information about yourself or your involvement in this research. If an insurer, medical care provider, or other person obtains your written consent to receive research information, then the researchers will not use the Certificate to withhold that information.
Questions?
Please contact Ricardo Battaglino (rbattagl@umn.edu) or the study team at rehablab@umn.edu. If you have questions or concerns about your rights as a research participant, or to share feedback privately with the University of Minnesota Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) about your research experience, call the Research Participants' Advocate Line at 612-625-1650 or go to https://research.umn.edu/units/hrpp/research-participants/questions-concerns.
You are encouraged to contact the HRPP if:
- Your questions, concerns, or complaints are not being answered by the research team.
- You cannot reach the research team.
- You want to talk to someone besides the research team.
- You have questions about your rights as a research participant.
- You want to get information or provide input about this research.