Study name: Evaluating a three-session resilience workshop for secondary school students (InTER-ACT2).
Introduction
Some of the students in your school are going to be taking part in new workshops that have been created to help with managing stress and building resilience. Resilience is the ability to recover from tough or difficult situations. We have developed these workshops based on something called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). These workshops do not involve students having therapy sessions, instead they are aimed at teaching practical skills.
The name of this research trial is ‘InTER-ACT 2’ which stands for ‘In-school Training in Emotional Resilience with ACT’. The new workshops will be called the ‘InTER-ACT workshops’.
So that we can see how well the InTER-ACT workshops work, we will be comparing them with normal PSHE lessons. You will either attend normal PHSE lessons or the InTER-ACT workshops.
The researchers
The research project is being carried out by two Trainee Clinical Psychologists (Aless Roberts and Laura Knight) who are studying on the South Wales Doctoral Programme in Clinical Psychology. The project is being supervised by Dr Victoria Samuel (Senior Research Tutor, South Wales Doctoral Programme in Clinical Psychology) and Dr Chloe Constable (Clinical Psychologist, Children and Young People Service, 2GETHER NHS Foundation Trust).
What will happen if I take part?
Some students will go to the InTER-ACT workshops and some will go to their PSHE lessons as normal. Which type of lesson your class gets will be decided at random. There are 3 InTER-ACT workshops, each lasting about an hour. In the workshops you will not be asked to talk about anything personal if you do not want to.
The InTER-ACT workshops will be audio recorded (sound, but no video) so that the research team can see how closely the two people running the workshops follow the training they have had. The recordings will take place after the class register so that the full names of the students attending are not included in the recordings.
To help us understand how well the workshops are working, you will be sent a link to complete questionnaires online by your teacher. These questionnaires are about how you manage thoughts and feelings and how you deal with stress. You will be asked to fill these in before the first workshop, after the last workshop and then again 6 weeks later. The students who go to their usual PSHE lessons will also be asked to complete questionnaires, so that we can compare the two different types of lessons.
Why are you doing the research project?
Research tells us that lots of secondary school students experience difficult thoughts, feelings and can feel stressed at times. We want to know more about whether teaching young people about managing difficult thoughts and feelings, might help them feel less stressed and more able to cope.
Do I have to take part?
All students will go to the different types of lessons because they are part of the school timetable, but it is up to you whether you want to complete the questionnaires.
What if I change my mind and no longer want to take part?
If you would like to stop completing the questionnaires, you can ignore the online link sent to you. This will not affect your schooling, grades or have any other consequence. Whether you complete the questionnaires is entirely your choice.
Your answers to the questionnaires can be removed if you ask us to within 1 week of you completing the last questionnaire. To do this, you will have to tell us your ‘unique identifying number’, which will be given to you at the start of the project.
Are there any risks or disadvantages to taking part?
We hope you will enjoy attending the InTER-ACT workshops. In both the workshops and the questionnaires, we will be asking you to think about your feelings and your mood. It is possible this may be upsetting, and we would encourage you to talk to somebody running the workshop if this happens. You can also ask a member of school staff or your parent/carer to let us know if you are finding the workshops or the questionnaires difficult.
What are the benefits of taking part?
The InTER-ACT workshops aim to help people manage difficult thoughts and feelings, and to do more of the things that are important to them. We hope you will learn some helpful, new skills.
For students who attend their PSHE lessons as usual, the information you give us is very important as it allows us to compare InTER-ACT with normal lessons.
How will my information be used?
We will ask your school to give each student a ‘unique identifying number’, which you will be asked to enter when you complete your questionnaires. The research team will not know which number matches with each student, so that your answers are anonymous. This means that when the research team looks at the questionnaire answers we will not know which student they have come from.
Your teacher will have a copy of your name and unique number but will not see your any of your questionnaire answers. However, if we notice you have given an answer which might mean you are very distressed or upset, we will let a member of school staff know (by telling them the unique number on your questionnaire). The school will then meet with you to check how you are feeling and whether you need further support.
All information you give us will be kept safe on a secure computer system or in locked filing cabinets at Cardiff University which can only be accessed by the research team. All information is kept for 5 years and then deleted after this time.
The research project is being completed as part of a university course and will be written up into a report. The information may also be used for teaching/training. In any report or presentation, it will not be possible to identify which students took part or to link any student to their questionnaire responses.
What can I do if I have concerns about the research project?
You can speak to a member of the research team. They can be contacted by email or phone: SamuelV3@cardiff.ac.uk, 02920 870582. You can also tell a member of school staff or your parent/carer if you have any worries about the research project, and they will let us know.
Who has reviewed the study?
The research project has been approved by Cardiff University School of Psychology ethics committee. They have checked the study to ensure we are running it in a way which protects your rights and your safety.
If you have any questions relating to ethical issues and how this study is reviewed to ensure the well-being of the individuals who participate, please contact the Cardiff University School of Psychology Ethics Committee:
School of Psychology Research Ethics Committee
Email: psychethics@cardiff.ac.uk
Tel: 029 20870360
The data controller is Cardiff University and the Data Protection Officer is Matt Cooper CooperM1@cardiff.ac.uk. The lawful basis for the processing of the data you provide is consent.