The University of Oklahoma
SPINAL CORD INJURY RESEARCH
Congratulations! First,
let me thank you for visiting my website. My name is Donald Ranallo and I
sustained a Spinal Cord Injury in 1988 as the result of a rodeo accident
which left me paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair. I am currently working on
my Doctorate degree in Counseling Psychology at the University of Oklahoma. As
part of my degree requirements, I am required to complete a dissertation, which
consists of compiling a review of literature, collecting data, performing an
analysis on the data, and reporting and discussing the results of the
study. As my study topic, I choose to look at how adjustment to a spinal cord
injury affects your mental health attitudes or quite simply, your thoughts
about counseling and seeking help for emotional or personal problems from a
psychologist. This is where I need your help. If you would take 30-45 minutes
to complete the questionnaires at the secure website by clicking the link below,
you will not only be contributing to further research in the area of Spinal
Cord Injuries, but you also have a chance to win 1 of 5 $100.00 Wal-Mart gift
cards. To meet the criteria for the study, you must be between the ages of
18-55, have sustained a spinal cord injury, and confined to a wheelchair. There
is no identifying information such as names, addresses, or phone numbers, you
will not be identified or mentioned in any publication, nor will you
receive any further emails from me or my institution unless you are one of the
five winners of the Wal-Mart gift cards. Information concerning the mental
health attitudes and adjustment to a spinal cord injury may help identify
constructs that either impede or enhance treatment and ultimately allow mental
health professionals to alter or change treatment regimens to better
accommodate individuals with a SCI, and allow these individuals to become more
productive during their recovery and adjustment following such a disabling
injury. If you are still interested please
continue to read and follow instructions below, if you are not, thank you for
your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
D. L. Ranallo
University of Oklahoma
Institutional Review Board
Waiver of Informed Consent to Participate
In a Research Study
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Project Title: |
The Relationship between Mental Health Attitudes and
Adjustment following a Spinal Cord Injury |
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Principal Investigator: |
Donald Ranallo, M.Ed.,
Doctoral Student |
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Department: |
Department of Educational Psychology, Counseling
Psychology Program, University of Oklahoma, 405‑325‑5974. |
You are being asked to volunteer for this
research study. This study is being conducted at the University of Oklahoma.
You were selected as a possible participant because you have sustained a spinal
cord injury in your past.
Please read this form and ask any questions that
you may have before agreeing to take part in this study.
Purpose of
the Research Study
The purpose of this study is to systematically examine the
relationship between mental health attitudes and adjustment following a spinal
cord injury. Specifically, how adjustment following a spinal cord injury
affects ones mental health attitudes, and do these attitudes change as one
adjusts to spinal cord injury overtime. Attitudes play a crucial role in the
decision to seek or not seek professional help for emotional and/or personal
problems. Although numerous studies have examined attitudes toward mental health
professionals, none of these studies have examined these attitudes and
adjustment following a spinal cord injury.
Information obtained from this research study may provide
important information to mental health and healthcare providers within the rehabilitation
field, and to mental health and healthcare professionals in the community who
provide services to individuals who have sustained a SCI following their
initial rehabilitation and discharge.
Number of
Participants
About 500 people will
take part in this study.
Procedures
If you agree to be in this study, you will be
asked to do the following:
Complete a demographic form, a questionnaire
regarding your disability, and a questionnaire about mental health attitudes.
Length of
Participation
To time needed to complete the demographic form,
the questionnaire regarding your disability, and the questionnaire about mental
health attitudes is between 30-45 minutes.
This study
has the following risks:
Potential risks to participants are minimal. If for any reason
you become uncomfortable with the questions you are asked to respond to, you
can withdraw from participating with no repercussions.
Benefits of
being in the study are
The only benefit of participating in this study is being
able to contribute to research that may provide important information to mental
health and healthcare providers within the rehabilitation field, and to mental
health and healthcare professionals in the community who provide services to
individuals who have sustained a SCI following their initial rehabilitation and
discharge. As aforementioned, to date, there has been no systematic study
conducted examining the relationship between mental health attitudes and
adjustment following a spinal cord injury.
Confidentiality
In published reports, there will be no
information included that will make it possible to identify you without your
permission. Research records will be stored securely and only approved
researchers will have access to the records.
There are organizations that may inspect and/or
copy your research records for quality assurance and data analysis. These
organizations include the OU Institutional Review Board.
Compensation
You will not be reimbursed for you time and participation in
this study. However, I understand that if the surveys are completed in full on
the secure website by the specified date, I have a chance to win 1 of 5,
$100.00 Wal-Mart gift cards as inducements to take part in the study. Drawings
for the Wal-Mart gift cards will be conducted following data collection and
sent to winners address. If I am participating in this study to have a chance
to win 1 of 5, $100.00 Wal-Mart gift cards and decide to withdraw from
participating, I lose my chance to win 1 of 5, $100.00 Wal-Mart gift cards
associated with the experiment.
Voluntary
Nature of the Study
Participation in this
study is voluntary. If you withdraw or decline participation, you will not be
penalized or lose benefits or services unrelated to the study. If you decide to
participate, you may decline to answer any question and may choose to withdraw
at any time.
Contacts and
Questions
If you have concerns or
complaints about the research, or need assistance completing the form and
questionnaires, the researcher(s) conducting this study can be contacted at the
University of Oklahoma, Department of Educational Psychology, 820 Van Vleet Oval, Norman, OK 73019, or call (405) 325-5974. You
can also contact Donald Ranallo at (405) 325-5974 or email him at ranallo@ou.edu or his advisor, Dr. Terry
Pace at (405) 325-5974 or email him at tpace@ou.edu.
Contact the researcher(s) if you have questions
or if you have experienced a research‑related
injury.
If you have any questions about your rights as a
research participant, concerns, or complaints about the research and wish to
talk to someone other than individuals on the research team or if you cannot
reach the research team, you may contact the
Statement of
Consent
I have read the above information. I have asked
questions and have received satisfactory answers. By completing and submitting
the forms at the below link to the secure web link, you hereby agree to
participate as a volunteer in a scientific study designed to systematically
examine the relationship between mental health attitudes and adjustment
following a spinal cord injury as part of an authorized research program at the
University of Oklahoma under the supervision of Dr. Terry Pace.
Click this link to continue to the secure
website: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Q8SHY58
If you are not directed to the secure website
within a few minutes, copy and paste the web address into your browser and
press "enter".
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The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution