Does it hurt to ask? A meta-analysis of participant reactions to trauma research

Jaffe, Anna E.; DiLillo, David; Hoffman, Lesa; Haikalis, Michelle; Dykstra, Rita E.

doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2015.05.004

Cited by 144 publications

(142 citation statements)

References 75 publications

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“…This would appear to indicate that researchers need not be concerned that offering this additional support will lead to a significant increase in research time. Such findings are in line with previous studies examining face-to-face and postal methods of research participation with vulnerable groups (Cook & Bosley, 1995; Dyregrov, 2004; Jaffe, DiLillo, Hoffman, Haikalis, & Dykstra, 2015) and appear to indicate that the online method of participation does not influence this outcome.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Conducting ethical internet-based research with vulnerable populations: a qualitative study of bereaved participants’ experiences of online questionnaires

Smith

Thew

Graham

2018

European Journal of Psychotraumatology

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Background: Bereavement can be considered a potentially traumatic experience, and concerns have been raised about conducting grief research responsibly online. Objective: Given that online research introduces new methodological opportunities and challenges, we aimed to develop a greater understanding of how bereaved individuals experience participation in online research. Method: One day after participation in an online grief study, 876 participants, bereaved on average for 40 months, received a ‘check-in’ email to support well-being and offer further contact if needed. Although not explicitly asked to respond if no help was needed, 300 participants sent email replies, with only six requesting support. These responses were analysed qualitatively using content analysis. Results: Results suggested that participants found it acceptable to be asked about their grief and while difficult emotions were frequently described in response to the questionnaires, these reactions were temporary. A range of positive reactions was also reported, including new realizations arising from completing the research and changes in thinking related to grief. Participants also wrote about their appreciation for the study and how it was carried out, as well as a desire to contribute more to the study and to help others in a similar position. Conclusions: We suggest that the use of the check-in email to support well-being following study completion, along with advice on preparing to take part, contributed to positive experiences of participation and we recommend these strategies for future studies. These findings could allay clinical concerns about conducting online research with vulnerable populations, as well as raising questions about the possible therapeutic impact of measurement.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Conducting ethical internet-based research with vulnerable populations: a qualitative study of bereaved participants’ experiences of online questionnaires

Smith

Thew

Graham

2018

European Journal of Psychotraumatology

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“…Prior research relying mostly on single post-test evaluations suggests that individuals with PTSD diagnosis carry greater odds of post-survey upset to trauma-related surveys than other individuals [10]. We speculated that participants with serious mental illness might also be at increased risk of emotional upset.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Lastly, we examined whether the type of trauma participants experienced –namely, combat or military sexual assault, affected their probability of experiencing post-survey upset. Although sexual assault history has been associated with greater odds of emotional upset post-survey in several studies using single post-test evaluations [7, 11–13] the association did not reach statistical significance in a recent meta-analysis [10]. Despite combat’s saliency to military Veteran populations, associations between combat exposure and post-survey upset have only rarely been addressed [7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in affect after completing a mailed survey about trauma: two pre- and post-test studies in former disability applicants for posttraumatic stress disorder

Murdoch

Kehle‐Forbes

Partin

2017

BMC Med Res Methodol

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BackgroundOne potential concern with using mailed surveys containing trauma-related content is the possibility of re-traumatizing survivors without a trained mental health professional present. Prior research provides insufficient guidance regarding the prevalence and magnitude of this risk because the psychological harms of trauma-related surveys have typically been estimated using single post-test observations. Post-test observations cannot quantify magnitude of change in participants’ emotional states and may over or under estimate associations between participants’ characteristics (risk factors) and post-survey upset.MethodsWe conducted two pre- and post-test studies in samples of former applicants for posttraumatic stress disorder disability benefits: 191 males who served during Gulf War I plus 639 male and 921 female Veterans who served sometime between 1955 and 1998. We used two 9-point items from the Self-Assessment Manikins to measure participants’ valence (sadness/happiness) and arousal (tenseness/calmness) before and after they completed mailed surveys asking about trauma-related symptoms or experiences. We examined the following potential predictors for post-survey sadness and tenseness: screening positive for posttraumatic stress disorder, having a serious mental illness, and history of military sexual assault or combat.ResultsAfter the survey, across the groups, 29.3–41.8% were sadder, 45.3–52.2% had no change in valence, and 12.9–22.5% were happier; 31.7–40.2% were tenser, 40.6–48.2% had no change in arousal, and 17.3–24.0% were calmer. The mean increase in sadness or tenseness post-survey was less than one point in all groups (SD’s < 1.7). Cohen’s d ranged from 0.07 to 0.30. Most hypothesized predictors were associated with greater baseline sadness or tenseness, but not necessarily with larger post-survey changes. Women with a history of military sexual assault had the largest net post-survey changes in sadness (mean = 0.7, SD = 1.4) and tenseness (mean = 0.6, SD = 1.6).ConclusionWhile a substantial minority of Veterans reported more sadness or tenseness post-survey, the net change in affect was small. Most hypothesized risk factors were actually associated with higher baseline sadness or tenseness scores. When receiving unsolicited, trauma-related surveys by mail, separate protections for Veterans with the risk factors studied here do not seem necessary.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12874-017-0357-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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“…2007;Legerski & Bunnell 2010;Omerov mfl. 2013;Jaffe, DiLillo, Hoffman, Haikalis & Dykstra 2015;Lakeman & FitzGerald 2009).…”

Section: Hvor Mye Tåler Sårbare Grupper?mentioning

confidence: 99%

De berørte etter 22. juli

Dyb¹,

Dyregrov²,

Eikeland³

et al. 2016

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Does it hurt to ask? A meta-analysis of participant reactions to trauma research

Cited by 144 publications

References 75 publications

Conducting ethical internet-based research with vulnerable populations: a qualitative study of bereaved participants’ experiences of online questionnaires

Conducting ethical internet-based research with vulnerable populations: a qualitative study of bereaved participants’ experiences of online questionnaires

Changes in affect after completing a mailed survey about trauma: two pre- and post-test studies in former disability applicants for posttraumatic stress disorder

De berørte etter 22. juli

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