Co-Priority Survey Participant Information

Invitation  

We would like to invite you to take part in a survey on rural mental health research being carried out by the Community Knowledge Matters Network and the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI), which was co-developed by a working group made up of members of grassroots community organisations across the Highlands & Islands, researchers and members of third sector organisations and public bodies.

This survey was approved by the UHI ethics committee (application number: ETH-2324-0772) on 16th February 2024.

Before making  any decision, it is important that you understand why the research is being done and  what you will be asked to do. Please read the following information and feel free to contact us if anything is unclear or if you would like further information. 

Why is the research study taking place? 

UHI researchers are collaborating with rural community members from the Community Knowledge Matters Network (A Highlands & Islands Network for Community-led Research). We are undertaking a survey on rural mental health and wellbeing research in order to understand rural residents’ opinions on what makes research in this area feel fair, meaningful and valuable to local residents. We want this to inform an International Position Paper on rural mental health and we will also share the findings to inform future research projects. This survey aims to challenge what research looks like by finding out how you might like to engage with future mental health research in a rural context, so that it can feel fair, meaningful and relevant to the priorities of people living in a rural context.

Why have I been asked to take part? 

You have responded to an email or social media invitation to take part in the survey.   Please only complete the survey if you are aged 16 or over and currently live, or have lived within the past year, in one of Scotland's small towns (3,000 to  9,999 population) or rural areas (less than 3,000 population). These are the areas colour coded orange, red, blue or purple on the map below. Please do not complete this survey if you live in one of Scotland's urban areas (places  with more than 10,000 population such as the cities of Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Inverness and Dundee and the larger towns such as Ayr, Greenock, Dumfries, Elgin and St. Andrews. These are the areas colour coded ‘black’ on the map to the right. .

Do I have to take part?  

No. It is up to you whether to take part in this research. You are free to withdraw without giving a reason and without any consequences. You will not be able to withdraw once you have completed the online survey as we have no way of identifying which responses came from which person. 

If I agree to take part, what will I have to do? 

Complete an online survey on rural mental health research. This should take 30 minutes of your time. You will not be asked about your own mental health and all answers will remain anonymous. We ask you not to disclose anything personal and any identifying information given will be removed before the answers are shared more widely.

How will my answers be used? 

Your answers will be added together with those of all survey respondents. Community researchers will look at the overall answers. Survey responses will be available as an (anonymous) dataset for use by community groups and third sector organisations, who can request use from the Community Knowledge Matters Network. We will produce a publicly available report of the findings and these will be used to inform an International Position Paper that we are writing with researchers from other countries (who are conducting similar work in their own rural areas across Ireland, Sweden, South Africa, the USA and Australia). We will ensure that any quotations from open response answers will be anonymous.  


What will happen to my personal information? 

All the personal information we collect will be kept confidential. It will first be held by the University of the Highlands & Islands (UHI), which has strict rules to make sure that all information collected is safely stored and does not reveal personal information about you. All data and consent forms will be kept securely on SharePoint, UHI’s electronic filing system. Only the UHI researchers will have access to this initial data. Only anonymised data will be available to the wider community researcher team and the Community Knowledge Matters Network. Your answers may be used anonymously in publications, project reports and conference presentations. No information that could identify you will be made public.


What are the possible disadvantages and risks in taking part? 

There are no foreseeable risks associated with the research. The survey will ask  general questions on your opinions about research on mental health and wellbeing in rural areas, and will not ask you anything about your own mental health. If you do feel uncomfortable at any point, feel free to stop the survey at any point. You can also save and return later to complete the survey at a different time. Here are links to some supports: 

NHS 24

Breathing Space

Citizens Advice Scotland

Young Scot 

Mikeysline 

Samaritans


Who is carrying out this research? 

The evaluation is being led by the Community Knowledge Matters Network and UHI, and was co-developed by a working group made up of members of grassroots community organisations across the Highlands & Islands, researchers and members of third sector organisations and public bodies. 


What if I want to withdraw from the research? 

You can do this by stopping the survey (partially completed surveys will not be included in the research). You will not be able to withdraw your answers if you complete the survey and it is submitted.  


What if I have questions or want further information? 

If you have any questions or want further information, please contact any of the research team members below: 


If you have a query that you feel cannot be addressed by the research team, please contact

Thank you for taking the time to consider taking part in this research. Your contribution to the project is greatly appreciated.