You are being invited to take part in a research project. Before you decide, it is important for you to understand why the project is being done and what it will involve. Please take time to read the following information carefully and discuss it with others if you wish. Ask us if there is anything that is not clear or if you would like more information. Take time to decide whether you wish to take part.

1.     Why is the project being conducted?
 

This study is interested the experiences of different groups of people (e.g. individuals who use alcohol / drugs, individuals in a caring role for individuals who use alcohol / drugs, individuals who do not use alcohol / drugs). Specifically, we are interested in the different everyday experiences of these individuals such as well-being and discrimination. This study is important as evidence suggests that certain groups of people are more likely to experience discrimination, and this discrimination can have impacts in other aspects of their life. Our aim is to examine this in a large sample, and examine whether discrimination may have a specific cause. 
 

You have been identified as a potential participant as you are engaged in services through ADFAM.org.uk, you are aged 18+, and can speak fluent English. You must not participate if you are currently intoxicated (e.g. have consumed alcohol or drugs recently), or unable to provide consent. 

We aim to recruit a minimum of 750 individuals into this study.

No. You can ask questions about the project before deciding whether to take part. If you do not want to take part that is OK. If you would like to ask any questions about the project, the contact details of the researchers are below. Please make sure you are satisfied with any answers to your questions before you take part. 

If you do decide to participate we will ask you to confirm your consent electronically. This means you agree that you’ve read and understood this information and are happy to participate in the study. If you do not confirm your consent you will be unable to participate. Submitting the questionnaire implies your consent to participate in this project.

You can stop being part of the project at any time, without giving a reason. You may withdraw from the project by contacting pressing the ‘Exit’ button/ closing the browser. If you wish for us to delete any data you have provided up until this point then please email the investigator (a.j.jones@ljmu.ac.uk) with the date and approximate time you started the study and we will ensure your data is removed. If you complete the study and wish for us to delete your data, you can follow the same process. However, please note that after 1/7/25 the data will be analysed, and we will be unable to remove your data at this point.

Your decision to participate will have no impact on any services you provide through ADFAM.org.uk and it will be impossible for anybody to identify whether you have / haven’t   participated from this organisation. 

The organisation has approved this study for distribution. 

Should you decide to participate we will ask you to complete a short, online questionnaire. You can complete it using your phone, tablet or laptop/desktop computer. 
 

We anticipate this should take about 5 - 10 minutes, however you can take as long as you like to complete it.  Please sit somewhere comfortable, alone,  and free of distraction during this time. 

In this questionnaire we will ask some questions that may cause you some distress. For instance, we will ask you some questions about any recent alcohol or drug use. We will also ask if you’ve experienced any unfair treatment (discrimination) in the past, and general questions about your well-being.  Importantly, you are under no obligation to answer these questions if you do not wish to. 

Once you have submitted the questionnaire you have the option to provide an email address to be entered into a prize draw for one of 10 £20 Amazon Vouchers. Note that your email address will be stored completely separately to any information you provide, and will be deleted upon completion of the prize draw (1/7/24). If you decide to withdraw any information it will not impact your entry into the prize draw. We expect your chance of winning one of these vouchers to be about 1 in 50. 

We have designed this study as carefully as possible to avoid causing you any disadvantages or discomfort. However, due to the nature of some of the questions we will ask it is possible you may experience some distress. Questions included in this project require participants to reflect on their wellbeing. If you feel worried or in low mood, we would like to point out that there are several sources of advice or help which are free and readily available to you and which may provide useful. Specifically, these include: 

The Samaritan’s

Similarly, if you are worried about your drug and / or alcohol use then you should speak to your GP. You can also find more information on the NHS website

And other resources. 

Aside from possibility of winning a prize draw there will be no direct or personal benefit for those people participating in the project. If you submit your contact details they will be deleted upon completion of the prize draw.

It is hoped that this project will lead improve our understanding of discrimination and well-being across individuals with different circumstances. 

Your participation in this project will involve the collection/use of data by the investigator. 

Once we have finished the study, we will keep some of the data so we can check the results. 

Liverpool John Moores University is the data controller with respect to your data and as such will determine how your data is used in the project. The University will process your data for the purpose of the project outlined above. Research/evaluation is a task that is performed in the public interest. 

You can find out more about how we use your information: · the LJMU Privacy Notice for Research Participants (https://www.ljmu.ac.uk/legal/privacy-notice-and-cookies/external-stakeholders-privacy-policy/research-participants-privacy-notice)

 

The findings from the project will be written up for publication in an academic journal. 

We will write our reports in a way that no-one can work out that you took part in the 

The LJMU Data Protection Officer is Tina Forrester (DPO@ljmu.ac.uk)

This project is organised by Liverpool John Moores University 

If you have a concern about any aspect of this project, please contact a.j.jones@ljmu.ac.uk and we will do our best to answer your query.  You should expect a reply within 10 working days.  If you remain unhappy or wish to make a formal complaint, please contact the Chair of the Research Ethics Committee at Liverpool John Moores University who will seek to resolve the matter as soon as possible:

Chair, Liverpool John Moores University Research Ethics Committee; Email: FullReviewUREC@ljmu.ac.uk; Tel: 0151 231 2121; Research Innovation Services, Liverpool John Moores University, Exchange Station, Liverpool L2 2QP

You will have the option to provide your contact details in order to opt-in to a prize draw to win £20 The probability of winning will be approximately 1 in 50 . The lottery will be drawn on 1/7/25 and the winner[s] notified using the contact details provided. 

Principal Investigator: Andrew Jones (Reader in Psychology) 

LJMU Email address: a.j.jones@ljmu.ac.uk

LJMU School/faculty: Psychology

LJMU Central telephone number: 0151 231 2121

Please consider retaining a copy of this information sheet for your future reference. If you would like an electronic copy you can copy and paste this or email the contact above and one will be sent to you. 

Project title: Experiences of everyday discrimination in individuals who use substances, their carers’, and those who don’t use substances
 

Principal Investigator: Andrew Jones

Member of LJMU staff 

LJMU Email address: a.j.jones@ljmu.ac.uk

LJMU School/Faculty: Psychology

LJMU Central telephone number: 0151 231 2121
 

Please read the following statements carefully. 

1.     I confirm that I have read the information sheet dated 1/12/24 (version 1) for the above project, or it has been read to me. I have had the opportunity to consider the information, ask questions and have had these answered satisfactorily.

2.     I understand what taking part in the project involves

3.     I consent voluntarily to be a participant in this project and understand that I can refuse to answer questions I can withdraw from the project at any time, without giving a reason and without penalty or my legal rights being affected.

4.     I have been advised about potential risks and/or disadvantages associated with taking part in this project and have taken these into consideration before consenting to participate

5.     To the best of my knowledge, I do not meet any of the exclusion criteria outlined in the information sheet for this project.  If this changes at a later date during project participation, I agree to notify the investigators immediately.

6.     I understand that personal data will remain confidential and that all efforts will be made to ensure I cannot be identified in reports or any further outputs

7.     I agree to take part in this project