Due to level 4 restrictions, I am currently conducting online interviews concerning mental wellbeing during COVID-19. I am also supervising a number of PhD students that have had to change their research from face to face interviews/focus groups to online (using zoom). I am interested to know what safeguards other researchers have in place in conducting mental health research online during the pandemic.
Dear Nicola Ann Cogan,
It's the best process, I think, to conduct research and keep mental health by online methods during the pandemic.
This keeps the minds free from frustration and along with this Research work can be promoted .
Only problem is with experiments. But nothing to do.
You are doing Excellent.
Thanks
N Das
Yes, I agree with Nityananda Das sir,
Best way to observe mental health online during this pandemic..Theoretical researchers have great apportunity for their work but experimentlis, suffer little...
And as a theoretical physicist,we work from home.
I think all the usual safeguards, plus you have the opportunity to observe them more closely throughout the interview, and also provide them with a list of relevant support websites and phone numbers, should they feel the need. Also, I think be prepared to stop should you see any signs of distress, and ensure that the participants are fully aware that they can stop the interview at any time and withdraw, should they feel the need.
Thanks, this is helpful and we have these measures in place but also pre-screening interviews before taking part in the research interview. We wondered about retaining confidentiality too given that conducting interviews online and in people’s homes can present some additional issues around retaining confidentiality/boundaries?
My university IT department has set up a secure area for researchers to store their data. I password protect all my data. Also, if necessary, it could be saved onto a memory stick and password protected. Then once finished with, it can all be deleted. I do feel the issue of people's homes is a little bit out of our control. We can advise, suggesting they either be at home on their own, or in a room on their own in a quiet place. At the end of the day, though, it is their home, and probably other people's home too, so the responsibility for ensuring the conditions we require are met will need to be passed back to the participant. We can only advise what we require and how to do it, we can't do that for them or insist.