Frequently Asked Questions
MSU Mental Health Research Connect is a way to match interested research volunteers with mental health research studies. If you choose to participate, you will fill out a questionnaire and, with your permission, your information will be stored in a database. When we find a research study that you might be eligible for, we will contact you and give you some information about the study. If you are interested in that study or want to learn more about it, then we can tell you how to contact the researchers.
By signing up for MSU Mental Health Research Connect, you are not agreeing to participate in any future studies. That is always your choice. You are only allowing us to let you know about studies that you might like to participate in. We will also never pass any of your information to researchers.
Adults (18 and over) of all ages, genders, races, ethnic groups, health statuses, and abilities are needed to participate in research.
Click here to learn more about participating in scientific research.
By joining MSU Mental Health Research Connect, you will be informed of research studies that you might be eligible for. There are many potential benefits of participating in a research study. If you experience mental health concerns yourself, you may learn more about your condition, access new treatments before they are widely available, and take a more active role in your healthcare. Even if the study does not have an immediate or direct benefit, you could be contributing to improving treatments or developing new ones that may eventually benefit you and your loved ones.
While we encourage anyone who is interested to take part in research, remember that the decision to participate is yours. Your decision should be based on your needs, interests, beliefs and expectations.
You will be asked to fill out a survey that asks basic questions about you and your mental and physical health. You can see the questions you will be asked here. You will also be asked if you would like to be notified about research studies for which you might be eligible. You can register for MSU Mental Health Research Connect here, or you can call one of your team members at 517-353-4098, who can ask you the questions over the phone. In addition, you may be asked if you would like to participate in a more extended survey that will be administered over the phone. This is completely optional, but may allow us to better match you with studies.
Once you sign up for MSU Mental Health Research Connect, we will notify you of studies for which you might be eligible. We will give you a little bit of information about the study. If you would like to hear more about the study, we will tell you how you can contact that research team. It is important for you to know that we will never pass your information on to a research team.
We will notify you with research studies that you might be eligible for. If you think you would like to learn more about that study, then we will give you contact information for that research team. You can decide whether to contact them or not. If you do contact that research team, they can give you more details about the study and answer any questions you may have. In addition, each study has its own rules about who is eligible to participate. You will probably be asked “screening” questions to make sure that study is right for you and that you are right for the study. If you decide after talking to the research team that you do not want to participate, you can tell that research team. Remember, participating in research is your choice and you can always choose to discontinue.
As a research participant, it is important for you to get all the information you need before you decide to take part in the study. Here are some questions you can ask to make sure you understand what is involved and decide whether you want to participate.
• What is the research about and what is its purpose?
• Who is being asked to volunteer to be in the study?
• What will I be asked to do as part of this study?
• Will I have to go anywhere to participate in the study?
• Will it help me, my relatives or other people with my condition?
• Will taking part in the study affect my day-to-day life?
• What will happen with my care if I do not take part in the study?
• What are the risks or side-effects?
• How long will the study last?
• How often will I need to come in for the study?
• Will this study team pay me for my time and compensate me for transportation? When and how will I receive this compensation?
• How will my data (such as test results) or other personal information be used or shared?
• How will my privacy and identifiable private information be protected?
• If something unexpected occurs during the study, what kind of help or support will be provided?
• What happens if I volunteer to participate now, but decide to quit the study later?
How quickly you are contacted after joining MSU Mental Health Research Connect depends on several factors, including the types of research studies recruiting at the time and how well your information fits a study’s requirements. You may not be contacted immediately.
No. Your participation in research studies is always voluntary. By joining MSU Mental Health Research Connect, you are only giving us permission to inform you about new studies. You can always decide whether or not you want to participate in any study.
Risks are considered minimal.
Every possible effort will be made to maintain confidentiality. While we will take every reasonable step to protect your confidentiality, there is always the possibility of interception or hacking of the data by third parties that is not under the control of our team.
In addition, you may feel uncomfortable answering questions about your mental health. Remember, your participation in MSU Mental Health Research Connect is voluntary. You may choose to not answer any of the survey questions. You can remove your name from the registry at any time. We will not sell your name or contact information to any agencies or organizations.
If you are eligible for a research study, we will contact you on behalf of the team conducting that study. At minimum, you will hear from us every year to see if there are any changes in your information and make sure that you would like to stay a part of MSU Mental Health Research Connect.
No.
You will not be paid for completing the survey to join the MSU Mental Health Research Connect. However, you will be asked if you would like to participate in a more extended survey that will be administered over the phone. This is completely optional, but may allow us to better match you with studies. If you complete that extended interview, you will be reimbursed with a $25 gift certificate.
You can request to be removed from the MSU Mental Health Research Connect database at any time. We will remove your information immediately and you will no longer be contacted by our team about potential studies. You may also just need a break from being contacted about research studies. If you would like to be removed from the MSU Mental Health Research Connect database or just need a break, call us at 517-353-4098 or send us an email at mhconn@msu.edu.
At Michigan State University (MSU), an Institutional Review Board (IRB) reviews research studies that involve people before the research can start. These IRBs are part of the MSU Human Research Protection Program (HRPP). This review ensures that ethical standards are respected by all MSU researchers.
You have the right to confidentiality, so all your personal medical information and personal identification is kept private.
If you are eligible for a study, research staff will ask for your consent before you take part. You will be given all the details about the study, and your questions will be answered.
You have the right to decide to leave a study or withdraw from MSU Research Connect at any time. It will not affect your current or future care, your relationship with your healthcare team, or your ability to participate in MSU studies in the future.
Send us an email at mhconn@msu.edu or call us at 517-353-4098.
Click here or call us at 517-353-4098 to join MSU Mental Health Research Connect.
Research is the process of gathering and analyzing information in order to increase knowledge.
• Contributes to an understanding of what well-being means and how we can increase it
• Contributes to an understanding of the causes of mental health challenges
• Contributes to an understanding of how we might be able to prevent mental health problems
• Can be used to change systems and policies around mental health
• Can be used to develop and test effective treatments
• Can be used to understand strengths and resilience
• Can be used be used to dispel stigma associated with mental illness
• Participating in research can also benefit the individual by providing the opportunity to learn and contribute to a body of knowledge and to receive financial compensation for time
MSU Mental Health Research will let you know about studies you might be eligible for. You might be wondering what participating in a research study will be like.
Screening/Baseline — If you reach out to the research group, they will give you more information about the study. If you are still interested, the research group will probably ask you a few more questions to make sure you are eligible for the study.
Study participation — Every study is different. What you will do as part of a study will depend on the question that researchers are trying to answer. Some studies may require you to answer questions over the phone or over the computer. For some studies you may have to come in for one or more in-person visits.
All research studies that we will alert you to have been approved by an institutional review board. The purpose of this board is to protect your safety, rights and welfare as a research volunteer. Before you participate in a study, the research team will go through an informed consent process with you. This process involves:
• Telling you about what you will be asked to do as part of the study
• Informing you about any potential risks or discomfort that you may experience as part of this study
• Informing you about any benefits from participating in the study
• Making sure that you know that your participation is completely voluntary
This is your chance to ask any questions about the study. You should get all of the information you need in order to make an informed decision.
Here are a list of questions you may want to ask the study team. You should get all of the information you need in order to make an informed decision.
• What is the research about and what is its purpose?
• Who is being asked to volunteer to be in the study?
• What will I be asked to do as part of this study?
• Will I have to go anywhere to participate in the study?
• Will it help me, my relatives or other people with my condition?
• Will taking part in the study affect my day-to-day life?
• What will happen with my care if I do not take part in the study?
• What are the risks or side-effects?
• How long will the study last?
• How often will I need to come in for the study?
• Will this study team pay me for my time and compensate me for transportation? When and how will I receive this compensation?
• How will my data (such as test results) or other personal information be used or shared?
• How will my privacy and identifiable private information be protected?
• If something unexpected occurs during the study, what kind of help or support will be provided?
• What happens if I volunteer to participate now, but decide to quit the study later?
You should expect that:
• Researchers are polite and professional and that they treat you with respect
• You will be given full information about the research study and what it will involve
• You will have an opportunity to ask questions about the research and have these questions answered
• That you can change your mind about taking part in a research study without having to explain yourself and without any consequences
• You will be provided help in accessing help or support if something unexpected happens during the research
• You will be provided contact information for an organization outside of the research group to talk about any concerns about the study
• The research group will reduce risk as much as they can, and inform you of any risks that there may be in the study
• The research group will describe how they keep your information confidential and private
• The research group will tell you how you will be compensated for your time and travel.
If you want to learn more about research participation, please see: https://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/education-and-outreach/about-research-participation/index.html
Your experience as a research participant is very important to us and we take concerns and complaints very seriously. If you have participated in a research study that you learned about through MSU Mental Health Research Connect and have concerns or complaints, we would like to know. Please reach out to us via phone (517-515-2301), email (mhconn@msu.edu), or through our website (https://mhrc.psy.msu.edu/contact/).
We can walk you through the following options for registering a complaint or concern:
1) We can reach out to the study team and to the Michigan State University Human Research Protection Program on your behalf and register your concern or complaint. It is their duty to follow-up with the study team and investigate. You can opt for this complaint to be treated confidentially. In this case, your identity will not be revealed to the study team, but the Human Research Protection Program can be in touch with you about the outcome of the investigation. We can also reach out the study team and to the Human Research Protection Program anonymously, without disclosing your identity.
2) You can reach out to the Michigan State University Human Research Protection Program yourself. You can opt for this complaint to be treated confidentially. In this case, your identity will not be revealed to the study team, but the Human Research Protection Program can be in touch with you about the outcome of the investigation. You can find their contact information below.
Michigan State University
Human Research Protection Program
4000 Collins Road
Lansing, MI 48910
Phone: 517-355-2180
Email: irb@msu.edu
3) You can reach out to the study team and register your concern/complaint directly.