Identifying Ethical Issues in Mental Health Research with Minors Adolescents: Results of a Delphi Study

Elisabeta Ioana Hiriscau, Nicola Stingelin-Giles, Danuta Wasserman and Stella Reiter-Theil
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Elisabeta Ioana Hiriscau: Department of Clinical Ethics, Psychiatric Hospital of the University Basel, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Wilhelm Klein-Str. 27, Basel CH-4012, Switzerland
Nicola Stingelin-Giles: Department of Clinical Ethics, Psychiatric Hospital of the University Basel, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Wilhelm Klein-Str. 27, Basel CH-4012, Switzerland
Danuta Wasserman: National Center for Suicide Research and Prevention of Mental lll-Health (NASP)/WHO Collaborating Center for Research, Methods Development and Training in Suicide Prevention, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm SE-171 77, Sweden
Stella Reiter-Theil: Department of Clinical Ethics, Psychiatric Hospital of the University Basel, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Wilhelm Klein-Str. 27, Basel CH-4012, Switzerland

IJERPH, 2016, vol. 13, issue 5, 1-20

Abstract: Research with minors, especially for preventive purposes, e.g., suicide prevention, investigating risk or self-destructive behaviors such as deviance, drug abuse, or suicidal behavior, is ethically sensitive. We present a Delphi study exploring the ethical implications of the needs formulated by researchers in an international pre-conference who would benefit from ethics support and guidance in conducting Mental Health Research with minors. The resulting List of Ethical Issues (LEI) was submitted to a 2-rounds Delphi process via the Internet, including 34 multidisciplinary experts. In the first round, the experts reviewed the LEI and completed a questionnaire. Results from this round were analyzed and grouped in nine categories comprising 40 items. In the second round, the experts had to agree/disagree with the needs expressed in the LEI leading to a final list of 25 ethical issues considered relevant for Mental Health Research with minors such as: confidentiality of the sensitive data, competence for consenting alone and risk of harm and stigma related to the methodology used in research. It was shown that studies like SEYLE (Saving and Empowering Young Lives in Europe) trigger among researchers wishes to obtain specific recommendations helping to comply with standards for good practice in conducting research with minors.

Keywords: assent/consent of minor; capacity to consent; confidentiality; Delphi; research ethics; risk of harm; sensitive topics; SEYLE (Saving and Empowering Young Lives in Europe) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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