Consent to Participate in Research

You are invited to participate in this online research survey entitled Mobile applications in Clinical Populations. You are included in this survey because: (1) 18 years of age or older, and (2) currently in psychotherapy, (3) have access to a device that would allow them to complete the survey. 

This online survey may take approximately 10 minutes to complete. Your participation is voluntary. If you do not wish to participate in this survey, simply exit and do not respond to further questions. Overall, completing the survey indicates that you are voluntarily giving consent to participate in the survey. It is anticipated that approximately 200 individuals will participate in the study. The study will be actively recruiting participants through [date determined by approval.

The general purpose of this research is to gather information from individuals in therapy about the use and perceptions of mental-health-related mobile applications (apps).  For example, we wish to explore reasons why individuals might select or download specific mobile apps, how mobile apps might be used in therapy, and whether individuals using mobile apps find them to be helpful. The survey is being done for research purposes only and will be provided at no cost to you.

It is anticipated that there will be no physical risks involved in taking part in this study. There may be some psychological risks associated with participating in this study, but those risks are minimal. There are questions related to the use of mobile apps for psychological distress and/or concerns. Some people may find answering these questions to be frustrating, upsetting, or difficult. If you decide that you need to discuss any issues which upset you about the study, you may contact the principal investigator. For participants in need of crisis intervention, call 911 or 1-800-273-8255 for immediate support.

It is possible that this study may not directly benefit you; however, you may learn more about why you might find mobile apps helpful. Additionally, you would provide information to help researchers further understand why individuals might use mobile apps while also in therapy.

The information you provide will be anonymous. There is no way to link your answers to your name or any other identifying information. In addition, the data will be kept in a secure password-protected computer file for six years following the completion of the study. However, any part of the data collection that is published will, once again, not include any individual information.

There are no alternative studies to participate if you choose to not partake in this specific study. The only alternative is to not participate.

If you have any questions about your rights as a research subject, please contact the Office of Research Compliance at (856) 256-4078– Glassboro/CMSRU or cirb@rowan.edu, as well as the Principal Investigator Jim A. Haugh, Ph.D. at (856) 256-4500 x53781 or road@rowan.edu. This study has been approved under Rowan University's Institutional Review Board under IRB-FY2021-14.