Ethics are central to this project, which means ethical codes of research practice inform all of the project’s research stages. These include (click on the links for more details):
Cardiff University Research Ethics Framework (REF)
Economic and Social Research Council
The project’s researcher is a registered mental health professional. As such the following professional codes of practice further inform the research ethics for this project:
British Psychological Society Research Ethics
Code of Ethics for Social Work
The project has ethical approval from the School of Social Sciences Research Ethics Committee at Cardiff University.
The project focus is on using an ethical research design for a potentially sensitive health topic. A detailed support protocol has been developed to meet the potential support needs that might arise in regards to the research participants. The support frameworks within this protocol include:
1. The self-harm research topic having clear boundaries for discussion purposes: it is clearly defined to be talked about only in the context of a generic health education topic.
2. A face-to-face, “real-time” interviewing research design, so that research participants are in real social contact (instead of using a more distance-based online form or social media) with the researcher during the interviewing process. This means that their support needs can be fully monitored during the research interview process, providing immediate support if needed.
3. The research focus groups taking place within the school environment that the staff and pupils reside within, instead of an unfamiliar setting. Schools also have safeguarding and well-being resources available, which provide additional support rings for all research participants.
4. The design of information, advice and signposting materials, delivered within the research project, that all research participants receive, should they wish for support.
Example (click on resource): 2018 signposting and support information for research participants
World Health Organization Principles
The World Health Organization (WHO) offers global standards for quality health-care services for adolescents. These centre upon respecting the rights of adolescents to: information; privacy; confidentiality; participation; and health care that is provided in a respectful, non-judgemental and non-discriminatory manner.
WHO also states to:
- Engage with adolescents and draw upon their ideas and suggestions for designing health service provision;
- Involve adolescents in assessing and providing health services.
WHO highlights the importance of OUTREACH activities, to access adolescents, such as in school settings. These are good principles to help talk with adolescents about their health needs, including talking about self-harm, and are the basis for this research project.
References:
Biddle, L., Cooper, J., Owen-Smith, A., Klineberg, E., Bennewith, O., Hawton, K., Kapur, N., Donovan, J. and Gunnell, D. 2012. Qualitative Interviewing with Vulnerable Populations: Individuals’ Experiences of Participating in Suicide and Self-Harm Research. Affective Disorders, 145, pp. 356-362.
British Association of Social Workers (BASW).2012. The Code of Ethics for Social Work. Statement of Principles. London: BASW.
Lloyd-Richardson, E. E., Lewis, S.P., Whitlock, J.L., Rodham, K. and Schatten, H.T. 2015. Research with Adolescents who engage in Non-Suicidal Self-Injury: Ethical Considerations and Challenges, Child Adolescent Psychiatry Mental Health, 9 (37). DOI 10.1186/s13034‑015‑0071‑6
The British Psychological Society. 2010. Code of Human Research Ethics. Leicester: The British Psychological Society.
World Health Organization. 2015. Global standards for Quality Health-care Services for Adolescents. Geneva: World Health Organization.
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