Participant Information
Study Title:
Preference for Mode of Delivery of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy among People with Social Phobia.
The purpose of the study?
Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) a widely used counselling technique. CBT is effective for assisting many people who experience anxiety in social situations.
This study aims to:
1. Find out which groups of people would be prefer to receive CBT delivered by computer (computer-delivered CBT; CCBT) rather than CBT delivered by a therapist
2. Find out what people who are experiencing social anxiety see as. the advantages and disadvantages of CCBT
Who will be invited to enter the study?
You have been invited to enter the study because you experience discomfort in social situations, you are 16 years of age or over and are residing in Australia.
Who is conducting the study?
The study is being conducted by Ms. Lisa Foster under the supervision of Associate Professor Lynne Harris and Dr. Steven Cumming. This study is a component of Doctoral studies at the University of Sydney, Faculty of Health Science.
What will happen in the study?
You will be asked to complete a questionnaire that contains three parts.
1. Part A asks you for some general information about yourself (eg your age), your concerns about social situations the type of help you may have had for these concerns, and your experience with computers and the internet.
2. Part B asks about: (i) how you feel generally; (ii) how you feel when you are in social situations; (iii) whether you think that your social concerns have affected your way of life.
3. Part C asks about how you would prefer to receive therapy dealing with the concerns you experience in social situations.
Are there any risks?
There are no foreseeable risks and we do not expect that people will find this questionnaire distressing. However, if you feel distressed or anxious about the questionnaire you should stop completing the questionnaire and withdraw from the study.. If you continue to feel concerned about the questionnaire please contact one of the research team to discuss your concerns.
Are there any benefits?
There will be no direct personal benefit to you from participating in this research. However, the research aims to identify the characteristics of therapy that most people would prefer, and will contribute to health promotion, early intervention and improved therapy for people with social phobia.
Confidentiality
All aspects of this study, including results, will be strictly confidential. This study will not be collecting any information that may identify you.
What will happen at the conclusion of the study?
The results of this study may be presented at conferences, published in relevant journals and incorporated into Ms. Foster’s thesis. Participants will be able to access the results of this research through the research website.
Do you have a choice?
Your participation in this study is entirely voluntary. If you choose not to join the study, or you wish to withdraw from it at any time, your medical care will not be affected. You will be given a copy of the participant information sheet and signed consent form to keep. If you wish to have your results withdrawn at a later stage please keep your copy of the participant information form and inform the research team of the code written in the top left corner of the page. This code will not identify you in any way.
Complaints
If you have any concerns about the conduct of the study, or your rights as a study participant, you may contact the Manager of Ethics Administration, University of Sydney on (02) 9351 4811.
Contact details
We thank you for your participation and if you have any problems while on the study, please contact at the University of Sydney.
Lisa Foster
Phone: +61 2 9692 9903
Associate Professor Lynne Harris
Phone: +61 2 9351 9162
Dr Steven Cumming
Phone: +61 2 9351 9404
By clicking here you are consenting to be a volunteer participant for this study.