PARTICIPANT INFORMATION

TITLE OF STUDY

Thinking style in illness.

ABOUT THE STUDY

You are invited to participate in the validation and reliability testing of a new scale relating to thinking style in the context of illness.

This study is being conducted by Heather Soo, a student at Macquarie University, Sydney, to meet the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Psychology) under the supervision of Dr. Kerry Sherman, Senior Lecturer, Department of Psychology, contact [61 2] 9850 6874, and Dr. Maria Kangas, Senior Lecturer, Department of Psychology, contact [61 2] 9850 8599.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN ON THE STUDY?

If you decide to participate in the study, you will be asked to complete a series of questionnaires about personal characteristics, health, feelings and thoughts about illness. It is estimated that the questionnaires will take approximately 30 minutes to complete.

ARE THERE ANY RISKS?

There are no known risks associated with this study. However, answering questions about illness may be distressing for some people. If you have any concerns as a result of completing this survey, please contact your physician. You may also contact Lifelife (Australia) on 13 11 14, The Samaritans (U. K.), 98457 90 90 90, The Samaritans (Republic of Ireland) on 1850 60 90 90 or check Befrienders.com for a local resource if outside of these listed areas.

CONFIDENTIALITY

Any information or personal details gathered in the course of the study are confidential. Only the researchers will have access to your personal information. No individual will be identified in the publication of the results. The process of storing the questionnaires and data will comply with regulations set by Macquarie University, Australia.

VOLUNTARY PARTICIPATION

If you decide to participate, you are free to withdraw from further participation in the research at any time without having to give a reason and without consequence.

COMPLAINTS

The ethical aspects of this study have been approved by the Macquarie University Human Research Ethics Committee.  If you have any complaints or reservations about any ethical aspect of your participation in this research, you may contact the Committee through the Director, Research Ethics (telephone (02) 9850 7854; email ethics@mq.edu.au).  Any complaint you make will be treated in confidence and investigated, and you will be informed of the outcome.

CONTACT DETAILS

Thank you in advance for your time and assistance in this research study. If you have any queries about the research, please contact Heather Soo  on 0412 155208.

INFORMED CONSENT

Please note that you must be 18 years or older to complete this survey. Please answer all questions and remember that there are no right or wrong answers.

I confirm that I am 18 years of age or older. I give my informed consent to participate in this study, knowing I can choose to withdraw at any time without penalty. I am aware of the purpose of the study and that there are no known or expected discomforts or risks associated with my participation. To ensure the quality of the responses, I will only participate once in this study.