CREDA Study

We are studying the experience culturally diverse people have with e-mental health resources. This research aims for a better understanding of what technology-delivered mental health resources are like for someone like you, and in doing so give us a better idea of how we can create effective services for mental health in our community. In the Metro Vancouver Regional District, where visible minorities make up 49% of the population, it is clear that culturally responsive e-mental health services may have great impact. Such services can provide further support for visible minorities to address symptoms of common disorders such as anxiety and depressive disorders. From our research, we hope to support the creation of culturally responsive e-mental health services.

One in five Canadians will personally experience a mental health problem or illness in any given year. By age forty, 50% of Canadians, will have or previously had a mental illness. With such a high prevalence, a significant number of Canadians will search for resources and support for screening, diagnosis, management and self-care. However, 49% of Canadians who suffer from depression or anxiety have not seen a doctor for treatment. Challenges include long wait times to see mental health professionals and high expenses for psychotherapy.

Digital health technologies such as e-mental health resources are suited to provide mental health services such as online cognitive behavioural therapy, virtual clinics, and group therapy to ensure more Canadians are receiving the care they need. Current digital health technologies and mainstream mental health care struggles to address the values, expectations, and lifestyles of visible minorities. While mental illness symptoms are similar across cultures, the ways in which individuals exhibit, express, and decipher their symptoms vary within cultural contexts. The use of technology has the ability to positively affect the health of visible minorities, but such services must be designed with cultural sensitivity in mind. This study hopes to support the creation of such technologies by learning about your experience with e-mental health services.

The principal investigator of this study is Dr. David Kealy, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, UBC.

The co-investigators of this study include:

• Dr. Kendall Ho, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, UBC
• Dr. Hiram Mok, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, UBC
• Shawna Narayan, Faculty of Medicine, Experimental Medicine, UBC
• Sharan Sandhu, Surrey Mental Health and Substance Use, Fraser Health

This project is funded by the Vancouver Coastal Health, University of British Columbia, and Pacific Blue Cross Health Foundation.

Through this survey, you will be asked some questions about your use or lack of use of e-mental health resources and the experience you had. You will be asked some questions about your mental wellness and how you use technology to make health decisions. You may also be interested in participating in a focus group and can indicate this in the final questions of the survey. If interested in the focus group, please also see our Focus Group Consent Form.

This study is guided by the following research question: What are visible minorities’ experiences with e-mental health resources and treatments for anxiety and depressive disorders in the Metro Vancouver Regional District? We hope to get a description of your experiences and how you came to access services. This will help us understand how to create interventions moving forward that are aligned with visible minorities’ experiences. As some questions include sensitive topics, you can connect with a mental health resource or health professional listed on the last page if you require them. Please be assured that your responses will be kept completely confidential.

We hope to get enough information to help us design mental health services that are useful for visible minorities. We want to hear your recommendations for future services. Therefore, you can improve our understanding by participating in the study and help shape future e-mental health services.

You may be able to participate in this study if you:

1. Are searching for resources for anxiety and depressive symptoms
2. Are over the age of 19
3. Can speak and read/write in English on your own or with assistance
4. Identify as a visible minority
5. Are a BC resident within Metro Vancouver Regional District

There are no explicit potential benefits to you for taking part in this research. By participating, you have the opportunity to provide recommendations and contribute to improving e-mental health resources for visible minorities.

The focus group may include sensitive subject matter, namely your experience with e-mental health resources and mental illness (if applicable). You may or may not choose to disclose your experiences with anxiety and depressive symptoms. The survey may cause stress due to the answering questions related to symptoms of depression and anxiety. If you need immediate, free, and confidential emotional support, you can contact the Fraser Health Crisis Line at 604-951-8855 24 hours a day. Vulnerability is a concern, but potential risks are low, as the study will only enrol people such as yourself who are willing to talk about this subject. The research is non-judgmental, confidential, and seeks to explore participants' views, experiences, and opinions.

Studies involving humans now routinely collect information on race and ethnic origin as well as other characteristics of individuals because these characteristics may influence how people respond to medical interventions. Providing information on your race or ethnic origin is voluntary. A member of the research team will input this data into a data collection file for use in the thematic analysis. This file will be password encrypted and stored on the laptop computer. Hard copies of study materials will be in a locked filing cabinet. The web-based survey administered through Qualtrics uses Transport Layer Security (TLS) encryption (also known as HTTPS) for all data. Only the research team will have access to data. The data will be retained for at least 5 years after publication but may be retained for a longer period at a UBC Facility (Department of Psychiatry, #420 – 5950 University Boulevard, Vancouver BC). Any data retention and destruction will be carried out in accordance with the policies and procedures proscribed by UBC, VCH, and Fraser Health. In the future, the data/findings of this study may be used to produce a publication. The publication may be “open access” meaning the data may be publicly available. No participant names and/or identifying details will be used. Once published, you will not be able to withdraw data.

Your participation in the research is completely voluntary and you may choose to stop participating at any time. Your decision to enrol in this study or to stop participating will not influence your relationship with the researchers or the care you receive. If you withdraw from the study, you have the right to request that your data be removed from the study. Your confidentiality will be respected. However, research records identifying you may be inspected in the presence of the Investigator or his or her designate by representatives of the Fraser Health Research Ethics Board for the purpose of monitoring the research. No information or records that disclose your identity will be published without your consent, nor will any information or records that disclose your identity be removed or released without your consent unless required by law. You have the right to withdraw at any point during the study, for any reason, and without any prejudice.

By participating in the survey, you will be entered in a draw for a $100 Visa gift card. Everyone who participates, even those who withdraw or do not answer all the questions, will be allowed to enter the draw. You do not have to answer every question in order to progress through the survey to the page where they can enter the draw. A short question is asked at the end to gather contact information for the draw. This information will not be connected to your survey data. If you choose to participate in the focus group by indicating in the final questions of this survey, you will be provided with $20 for taking part in the interview, which will cover any costs incurred, such as transit or parking.

If you have questions about the study, contact Shawna Narayan, Researcher, Faculty of Medicine, UBC, shawna.narayan@ubc.ca or Dr. David Kealy, Principal Investigator, Faculty of Medicine, UBC, david.kealy@ubc.ca.

If you have any concerns or complaints about your rights as a research participant and/or your experiences while participating in this study, contact the Research Participant Complaint Line in the UBC Office of Research Ethics at 604-822-8598 or if long distance e-mail RSIL@ors.ubc.ca or call toll free 1-877-822-8598. You may also contact the Fraser Health REB co-Chairs by calling 604-587-4681.