Information for Participant
1. Study title and researcher details
Study Title: Investigating Post-Concussion Wellbeing among Athletes
Researcher Details:
Name: Bernadette Kellermann
Course: PGT Psychological Science (Conv.) (MSc)
E-Mail: 2509652K@student.gla.ac.uk
2. Inviting you to take part in my research
My name is Bernadette Kellermann, and I am a MSc Psychological Science student at the University of Glasgow. You are being invited to take part in a research study. Before you decide to take part, 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. Feel free to contact me if there is anything that is not clear or if you would like more information. Take time to decide whether or not you wish to take part. Thank you for reading this and for your interest in my study.
3. What is the purpose of the study?
Previous studies in the field of psychology have established a link between mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and sleep difficulties. One common form of mTBI are concussions. In 2015/16 a study conducted at the University of Glasgow investigated this relationship between concussions and sleep difficulties among student athletes and delivered findings inconsistent with previous research. Therefore, the purpose of the present study is to re-investigate this issue among athletes from a wider range of contexts.
4. Why have I been chosen?
You have been chosen because you are over 18 years old and active in sports. You do not have to have experienced a concussion to take part.
5. What is involved if I agree to take part?
You require to fill out an online survey. This will take you approximately 20 minutes. For this you can choose your own location, however, we advise to choose a quiet and comfortable place in order to give you the head space to think. You are required to fill out some demographic information first before launching into the questions related to concussion and sleep. After completing the survey, you will be directed to a final page containing debriefing information, for example, websites that could be a valuable resource to you.
6. What will happen with the results of the study?
Your responses will be anonymised, statistically analysed, and interpreted within their scientific context. In the final report (dissertation), there will be no reference to any individual responses but rather group trends and overall data analysis. There is a small chance that findings will be considered appropriate for further research or publication.
7. Are there any risks in participating in this study?
Overall, there are no risks associated with participating in the present study. Below this section, you will be presented with a page summarising the informed consent process. Here you can decide whether you would like to proceed to participate in the study. However, there remains a small risk of you recalling potentially upsetting memories. Therefore, it is important for you to know that you can withdraw from the study at any point without a reason. Also, you will be directed to valuable resources upon completion of the survey. If you find yourself seriously affected by participation, please contact me (Bernadette) or my supervisor (Dr Maria Gardani).
8. Confidentiality and data protection
If you provide your name or email address, this will be solely used for entering you in the ballot for a £10 Amazon voucher, or to provide you with information regarding further studies. If you give your consent to participate, you will be automatically assigned a participant number. Your data will be analysed in anonymised form and only group data trends will be included in the final report. All data will be securely stored and processed using password-protected digital systems. All data will be securely stored for ten years as per University of Glasgow regulations.
9. Who is organising this research?
This research is conducted as part of my (Bernadette Kellermann; contact details below) MSc dissertation. My dissertation supervisor is Dr Maria Gardani (contact details below). The study has been granted ethical approval by the University of Glasgow College of Science and Engineering ethics committee.
10. Who can I contact for further information?
If you have any concerns regarding participation in this study, or if you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact myself or my dissertation supervisor. Researcher: Bernadette Kellermann (2509652K@student.gla.ac.uk) Supervisor: Dr Maria Gardani (maria.gardani@glasgow.ac.uk) Institution: School of Psychology, Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, College of Science and Engineering, University of Glasgow, 62 Hillhead Street, Glasgow G12 8QB.