Introduction

You are being invited to participate in research for a participatory community program titled Assessment of Participatory Platform to Improve Mental Health for LGBTQIA++ Youth.   

This program and the related operational research are being conducted by the team at Blue Banyan Consulting LLP, (Blue Banyan) New Delhi. 

 

Purpose of Research

The purpose of this research is to measure baseline and endline changes in the mental well-being and mental health awareness of the participants. The findings from the research will help ascertain how effective community based participatory interventions are in improving the mental health of LGBTQIA++ youth, and how these interventions can be designed and improved to better serve the LGBTQIA++ community. By understanding the mental health needs, and experiences of LGBTQIA++ youth better interventions can be designed which can help the community meet their needs.  

 

Procedures

You are being asked to participate in this research. 

You are invited to take part in this research if you are a self-identifying LGBTQIA++ individual who is a student between the ages of 18-21. Before you decide whether to participate, you need to understand why the study is being done and what it would involve. Please take the time to read the following information. Please ask if there is anything that is not clear, or if you would like more information by reaching out to the contact info listed further down in the form.  

Participation in this study is completely voluntary. 

Your information will only be analysed and used in an aggregated manner, not individually.  

If you agree to take part in this program, you will be asked to complete an online survey/questionnaire before the start and at the end of the program.

This survey/questionnaire will ask questions about and/or touch upon sensitive issues including but not limited to gender identity, sexuality, mental health, experiences of harassment or bullying. The survey will take you approximately 15-20 minutes to complete.

There are no right or wrong answers; we are only seeking opinions based on your experiences and personal views. When all your questions have been answered and you feel that you understand this research, if you agree to take part in the research, we will ask you to sign this form. If you wish, you will be given a signed copy to keep. 

No photographs or video of you will be taken during this study. Your responses will be recorded by a note taker in focus group discussions.

 

Risks/discomforts

While Blue Banyan will do its best to minimise the risks associated with actions, they are responsible for, there still exists the psychological risk of being triggered from answering questions in the survey or participating in any activities. 

Please also note that we are not qualified to provide counselling services and we will not be following up with you after the survey or the discussions/ activities. If you feel during or after the survey or activities, or find that some questions or aspects of the survey triggered distress, talking with a qualified clinician may help. 

If you feel you would like assistance please contact your therapist, psychiatrist, or a mental health helpline. In case of an emergency, please rush to a hospital immediately.  As is this case with any program, there will always be unforeseen risks that Blue Banyan cannot account for and will not be responsible or liable for. 

 

Benefits and Payment/ compensation

Participants will NOT receive any monetary compensation, gifts, raffle prizes etc for their participation in this study. However, participation in this research can help understand the mental health needs, and experiences of LGBTQIA++ youth and design better interventions which can help the community meet their needs.  

 

Confidentiality

We will maintain privacy and confidentiality. Your name and other identifying information will be accessible only to the researchers and will never appear in any sort of report that might be published. 

To the best of our ability your answers in this study will remain confidential and the Program and research will follow all necessary legal and ethical measures to protect privacy and confidentiality of the participants and their data.  We will minimize any risks by taking the following measures:

• Only authorised personnel (which includes our employees, consultants and partner organisations) who are legally obligated to maintain confidentiality will access your information.  

 

Voluntary participation

Participation in this study is voluntary, meaning it is your decision whether to participate in this study or not. If you choose not to participate or want to stop at any time, there will be no consequences, we will respect the decision and we will not ask why the decision was made.

 

Contact Information

If you want to talk to anyone about this research or have any questions about the research, you may email: bluebanyanllp@gmail.com

For any questions on ethical aspects, get in touch with Sigma IRB member secretary Ph: 011 41063450  

Email: irb.sigma@sigma-india.in