Why am I being asked?
You are being asked to be a participant in a research study about Veteran health. The purposes of this research are to gain insight from Veterans about brain health, collect information that can be used to support health research serving Veterans, and to develop prototype tools that can automatically screen for injuries common to Veterans, especially those related to brain health. You have been asked to participate in this research because you are a Veteran who can contribute to research that helps fellow Veterans. Approximately 120 participants will be involved in this research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Your participation in this research is voluntary. Your decision whether or not to participate will not affect your current or future dealings with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. If you decide to participate, you are free to withdraw at any time without affecting that relationship.
What procedures are involved?
The study procedures include completing surveys and participating in an audio-video recorded interview that will include a reflective discussion of your military service and life experience.
You can participate in the study either in-person or remotely. If you choose to participate in-person, you will need to come to the study site at the Chez Veterans Center on campus at the University of Illinois, 908 W. Nevada St., Urbana, IL 61801. If you participate remotely, you will need to select a quiet, well-lit location where you can be by yourself to do the interview. For remote interviews, you will also need a cell phone, tablet, or computer with a built-in or external camera and microphone (so that you can join an online audio-video call). You will need to either come to the study site or join an audio-video call one time to participate in the study, and this session will last approximately 1.5 hours.
What are the potential risks and discomforts?
Risks to participating in the study are low. There is a possibility, however, that you may recall difficult experiences that are sensitive or uncomfortable. Some of the topics addressed include post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injuries, blast exposure, other military experiences, depression, anxiety, drug use, and difficulties faced during everyday life.
We are asking for your consent to allow Mechanical Turk workers, in a future study, to listen to or look at short segments (a typical segment is about 10 seconds long) of your interview and provide labels describing what they see or hear. These labels will help us build better screening tools for depression or traumatic brain injury that could help others receive treatment faster. Although these segments are very short, and do not include the context of the interview, there is a very small possibility that a Mechanical Turk worker could recognize you.
Are there benefits to participating in the research?
Benefits to participating in the research include contributing to research that can help fellow Veterans in the future; your surveys and interview recording will be included in a database for Veteran brain health research. You can also elect to contribute your interview to the Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress if you desire. Information about the Veterans History Project can be found at https://www.loc.gov/vets/.
What other options are there?
You have the option to not participate in this study.
Will my study-related information be kept confidential?
We will use all reasonable efforts to keep your personal information confidential, but we cannot guarantee absolute confidentiality. When this research is discussed or published, no one will know that you were in the study. But, when required by law or university policy, identifying information (including your signed consent form) may be seen or copied by: a) The Institutional Review Board that approves research studies; b) The Office for Protection of Research Subjects and other university departments that oversee human subjects research; c) University and state auditors responsible for oversight of research; or e) The Center for Social and Behavioral Science at the University of Illinois, the funder of this research.
If you consent, we will include your information in a shared Veteran brain health database, intended to support research for health concerns common to Veterans, (for example, traumatic brain injury, post traumatic stress disorder, or major depressive disorder).
Also, if you consent, we will share portions of your interview and survey questions in presentations and publications supporting research and education.
If you consent, in the future we will share isolated segments of your audio and/or video interview (short clips between about 5-15 seconds) with Mechanical Turk workers who will help us label the data. A typical task for these Mechanical Turk workers would be to listen to a 10-second audio clip and provide a short description of the expression they hear in the voice.
Finally, if you consent, we will share your interview recording with the Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress. If you wish to share your interview, you will need to indicate your consent here, and sign a release form for your materials to be included at the Library of Congress.
Will I be reimbursed for any expenses or paid for my participation in this research?
You will be offered payment for participating in this study in the form of $20 cash or a $20 gift card. If you participate remotely, you will receive an electronic gift card.
Can I withdraw or be removed from the study?
If you decide to participate, you are free to withdraw your consent and discontinue participation at any time. You can be removed from the list of potential participants if you no longer wish to participate. The researchers also have the right to stop your participation in this study without your consent if they believe it is in your best interests.
Will data collected from me be used for any other research?
Your information, with you name removed, could be used for future research without additional informed consent.
Who should I contact if I have questions?
Contact the researcher Dr. Mary Pietrowicz at marybp@illinois.edu if you have any questions about this study or your part in it, or if you have concerns or complaints about the research.
What are my rights as a research subject?
If you have any questions about your rights as a research subject, including concerns, complaints, or to offer input, you may call the Office for the Protection of Research Subjects (OPRS) at 217-333-2670 or e mail OPRS at irb@illinois.edu.