This project will develop, implement, and evaluate a four-day training course focusing on ethical and legal issues that arise when vulnerable populations, particularly people with severe mental disabilities, are used as research subjects. Issues to be addressed include decisional capacity and competency; confidentiality; coercion, both direct and indirect; the special problems that arise when children with severe emotional disorders are used as research subjects; and the potential impact on the emotional health of subjects of commonly used techniques like mail and phone surveys. The curriculum will also expressly integrate issues of diversity and multicultural perspectives as they relate to and impact on ethical and legal issues in behavioral health services research. The course will target three primary audiences: (1) advanced doctoral or newly graduated minority students who wish to conduct human services research; (2) practitioners and advocates (including primary consumers and family members) conducting human service research and evaluation; and (3) persons serving on Institutional Review Boards that review proposals in which vulnerable populations are used as subjects. Upon completion of the course, participants will: (1) understand the historical, legal, and cultural contexts of ethical decision-making as applied to research conducted using persons with serious mental illness as subjects; (2) be able to identify and understand important ethical and legal concepts in conducting research, as well as apply these concepts in practice; (3) have a framework for developing strategies to address and minimize ethical conflicts in conducting behavioral health services research; and (4) gain a better understanding of the IRB process and the role of the IRB in assuring that research is conducted in an ethically appropriate manner, particularly when vulnerable populations are to be used as research subjects. In sum, course participants will be equipped to assume leadership roles in ethics and use of human subjects when they return to their research communities.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Continuing Education Training Grants (T15)
Project #
1T15AI007595-01
Application #
2833358
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-SSS-B (01))
Program Officer
Hernandez, Milton J
Project Start
1999-09-01
Project End
2002-08-31
Budget Start
1999-09-01
Budget End
2000-08-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
1999
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of South Florida
Department
Miscellaneous
Type
Organized Research Units
DUNS #
City
Tampa
State
FL
Country
United States
Zip Code
33612