Transcript Including persons who are civilly committed in research – comments

Including persons who are civilly committed
in research – comments from a researcher
Marit Helene Hem, PhD, Post doc researher
Center for Medical Ethics
Institute of Health and Society
Den 3. nasjonale konferansen om forskning og kunnskapsutvikling om bruk av tvang i det
psykiske helsevernet
Holmen Fjordhotell 5.-6. april 2011
Introduction
• Ethically permissible to include in research
those persons who are admitted against their
own will to a psychiatric ward?
The qualitative researcher, vulnerable
research subjects and ethical conduct
• The qualitative researcher: exploration of
people’s experiences; in-depth
understanding; open-ended and
unpredictable
• Vulnerable research subjects: in need of
protection? Nature of mental illness?
• Ethical conduct: moral sensitivity,
mindfulness
Research ethics review
• Protection of the rights and welfare of
research subjects
• Standardization and control of research
• Informed consent – what does it mean to be
informed? What does it mean to consent?
When is a consent informed and voluntary?
• Process consent?
Communication between review
boards and researchers
• Institutional control is neccessary
• Researchers are powerful – the need for
control
• Participants are powerless and vulnerable –
the need for protection
• Communication and mutual trust