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EDCO745 Research Plan Overview Discussion responses Module 6

Post ID: 3031352

Overview

The student must then post 2 replies of at least 100 words. Any sources cited must have been published within the last five years and all references must be formatted in current APA style.

You are required to only review two of your colleagues’ stage 3 documents and provide substantive feedback to them. "STAGE3 - This stage contributes the final section of the Research Plan Overview, giving you a complete outline. Review Stage 2 of your research plan and make revisions or edits as necessary. Supply the information required for the Methods section (III), subheadingsF,G, andH. Also, supply the requested information forAppendices A and D. Finally, polish the Review of Related Literature section (II), adding any final elements you think are necessary."

Please respond to the following two discussion posts focusing on stage 3.....

1. E. T Posted

F. Data Analysis – Is making sense out of the data (Milacci, 2018).

  1. 1st Technique is open coding (Creswell & Poth, 2018).
  2. - This technique requires several times reading through texts.
  3. - Making notes and creating codes (Creswell & Poth, 2018).
  4. 2nd Technique is developing and accessing interpretations (Creswell & Poth, 2018).
    1. This technique is relating categories/themes/families.
    2. It helps the researcher to have contextual understanding.

G. Trustworthiness

    1. 1st Technique - member checks
      1. This is a technique which allows participants to agree or disagree after viewing the findings (Creswell & Poth, 2018).
      2. Focus groups can be part of this technique (Creswell & Poth, 2018).
      3. This process increases the reliability of the study because the findings are validated by the participants as it represents their lived experience (Creswell & Poth, 2018).
    2. 2nd Technique - triangulation
      1. Triangulation is “drawing upon multiple data sources, methods, and theoretical schemes” (Creswell & Poth, 2018, p. 255).
      2. It is supportive evidence of what the study shows (Creswell & Poth, 2018).

3. 3rd Technique – peer review

    1. Peer review is an external check by a familiar person/person with the research (Creswell & Poth, 2018).
    2. As the peer reviewer is familiar with the research, the researcher will have an outside perspective and challenger who can question the methods and techniques (Creswell & Poth, 2018).

Ethical Considerations

  1. The report could reflect lack of healthcare system’s equal access of care and multicultural competency. Some healthcare agencies have language interpretation systems to lower accent related issues of immigrants. The report should show the researcher’s truthfulness and unbiased approach of the issue (Creswell & Poth, 2018).
  2. As this researcher is an immigrant, participants might think the researcher is using them for self-benefiting and funding reasons. This researcher is obligated to clearly explain the purpose and the goal of the research to all participants. Also, participants have the right to see the final draft of the research’s summary (Creswell & Poth, 2018).
  3. As immigrant’s social life impacts other parts of their life, it is important to avoid disclosing any information which can impact their life, and this is confidentiality (Creswell & Poth, 2018).

References

Creswell, J. W. & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry & research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications. ISBN:

9781506330204.

Milacci, F. (2018). It’s all about the toys: Qualitative data analysis [Video]. Liberty University: CANVAS. https://canvas.liberty.edu/courses/529639/pages/watch-its-all-about-the-toys-qualitative-data-analysis?module_item_id=59117527 2. K. C Posted A Phenomenological Study of Suicidal Ideation in Police Officers with Occupational

Exposure to Suicide.

Name:

Stage of Completion: Stage 3

  1. Introduction
  2. Problem Statement
  3. The problem exists in the law enforcement career relating to officer suicide and suicidal ideation. With the ongoing trauma police officers face responding to critical incidents, there is a lack of research exploring the specific critical incidents of suicide scene processing and the profound effect those specific responses have on the mental wellbeing and resiliency of each officer.
    1. Lyra, R. L., McKenzie, S. K., Every-Palmer, S., & Jenkin, G. (2021). Occupational exposure to suicide: A review of research on the experiences of mental health professionals and first responders. PLOS ONE, 16(4). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0251038Links to an external site.
    2. Hofmann, L., Glaesmer, H., Przyrembel, M., & Wagner, B. (2021). An evaluation of a suicide prevention E-learning program for police officers (cops): Improvement in knowledge and competence. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.770277Links to an external site.
    3. Aldrich, R. S., & Cerel, J. (2020). Occupational suicide exposure and impact on mental health: Examining differences across helping professions. OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying, 85(1), 23–37. https://doi.org/10.1177/0030222820933019Links to an external site.
    4. The goal of this research is to enhance the psychological resilience of police officers as well as the long-term mental health of the officer through ensuring officers receive the proper post incident interventions to prevent or address suicidal ideation present after post suicide exposure. The identification of key risk factors as well as protective factors that can be used in the development of evidence-based interventions to mitigate the negative effects of suicide exposure on the psychological and mental health association of an officers own suicidal ideation.
  4. Guerrero-Barona, E., Guerrero-Molina, M., Chambel, M. J.,

Moreno-Manso, J. M., Bueso-Izquierdo, N., & Barbosa-Torres, C. (2021). Suicidal ideation and mental health: The moderating effect of coping strategies in the police force. International

Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(15),

  1. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18158149Links to an external site. Links to an external site.
  2. Krishnan, N., Steene, L. M., Lewis, M., Marshall, D., & Ireland, J. L. (2022). A systematic review of risk factors implicated in the suicide of police officers. Journal of Police and

Criminal Psychology, 37(4), 939–951. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11896-022-09539-1Links to an external site.

  1. Newell, C. J., Ricciardelli, R., Czarnuch, S. M., & Martin, K. (2021). Police staff and mental health: Barriers and recommendations for improving help-seeking. Police Practice and Research, 23(1), 111–124. https://doi.org/10.1080/15614263.2021.1979398Links to an external site.
  2. Purpose
    1. The purpose of this study is to explore and understand the experiences of suicidal ideation of police officers who, by occupation, have been exposed to suicide.
  3. General research questions
    1. How do police officers, who have been exposed to suicide through their occupation, experience and find meaning of suicidal ideation?
    2. Describe your perception of existing mental health support provided by your agency regarding addressing suicidal ideation.
    3. Describe the impact of suicidal ideation, via occupational exposure, on their personal and professional lives. Describe what tailored interventions or strategies would be helpful in addressing suicidal ideation.
  4. Research Plan
    1. Qualitative
    2. A qualitative study will allow police officers to share their experience of having been exposed to suicides within the scope of their job and well as expressing the unique coping skills and lived experiences resulting from their exposure (Creswell & P0th, 2018). A qualitative study will give understanding on the variables that can result in a police officer developing suicidal ideation when others may not, both validating to the officer who experiences suicidal ideation as well as the officer that is less effected psychologically to the exposures. To date there are quantitative studies that address the sheer number of police officer who experience suicidal ideation or complete suicide from a statistical standpoint, but more research is needed to capture the lived experiences of officers who develop suicidal ideation from exposure to suicide. In general programs and interventions are focused on the act of suicide or active ideation as a whole and little research is done on the specific events or exposures that affect officers such as suicide exposures.
    3. Review of Related Literature
    4. Theoretical Framework
  5. Creswell and Poth (2018) opine that in ontology beliefs, there can be different as well as multiple realities uncovered throughout the research process as can be the case with police officers who have differing world views, experiences in life and spiritual lens. According to Craddock and Telesco (2022), it is not always the critical incident (in this case suicide exposure) that would determine perception of the event, but instead the worldview, emotional intelligence and other things that determine that officer’s reaction to the suicide exposure as a lived experience.
  6. My worldview and theory to shape this research comes from both a scientifical as well as biblical lens. According to Zhang (2019) the difficulties that present themselves are conflicting realities and emotions coupled with inadequate coping skills to handle conflicts

or stress. This is known as the Strain Theory and while there is little research regarding suicide specifically as it is more deviance centered (Zhang, 2019), there is an understanding that police officers who feel helpless and unable to rationalize suicide of others feel inadequate in their ability to cope which leads to a cultural battle within based on the stigma that surrounds mental health and wellness in police officers. Secondly, from a biblical lens I look to the greatest command given by Jesus to love others as He has loved us (English Standard Version Bible, 2016, 1 Jn 4:19). Understanding from personal experience the nature of police stress is my personal desire to make changes for those who live in the stresses of a culture just beginning to fully understand the consequences of untreated stress.

  1. Important Thinkers/experts/theorists in this field of study
    1. Merton, R. K. (2017). Social theory and social structure. RAWAT.
      1. Full explanation on the theory developed by Merton as it is intertwined within the social structures of society.
      2. Merton is cited for anything related to the Strain Theory and most research articles regarding the theory reflect him and his writings.
    2. Violanti, J. M., & Samuels, S. (2007). Under the blue shadow: Clinical and behavioral perspectives on police suicide. Charles C. Thomas.
      1. Volanti is an international expert on police stress as well as a researcher and former police veteran.
      2. He has authored at least ten (10) books and numerous research articles related to police and stress/suicide.
    3. Related Research
      1. Research article: Bishopp, S. A., & Boots, D. P. (2014). General strain theory, exposure to violence, and suicide ideation among police officers: A gendered approach. Journal of Criminal Justice, 42(6),

538–548. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2014.09.007Links to an external site.

  1. This is a research study that investigates the effects of police officers and the maladaptive coping mechanism of suicidal ideation regarding trauma responses (i.e., suicides) while utilizing the strain theory methodology.
  2. It is vitally important to understand the stressors that lead to suicidal ideation in police officers and suicide exposure by an officer is no exception. It is also vitally important to understand the differences in gender that can have an impact on this phenomenon as well as how the culture in law enforcement may or may not exacerbate the problem.
  1. Research article: Lu, Y.-F., & Petersen, K. (2023). Effectiveness of psychological skills training for police personnel: A meta-analysis.

Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 80(10), 590–598.

https://doi.org/10.1136/oemed-2023-109117Links to an external site.

  1. This article is a meta-analysis giving the finding for resilience and training in mindfulness through psychological skills training.
  2. This article drives home the prevention aspect with regards to preventative skills training both in initial training academies as well as ongoing in-service continued education realms.
  3. The desire to assist police officers with mindfulness training and positive psychology has grown over the most recent years and with studies such as this, understanding the stigma that surrounds police mental health and reluctance to seek help, finding ways to implement programs that do not target those officers said to be high risk, is something that is highly sought after.
  1. Research article: Cerel, J., Jones, B., Brown, M., Weisenhorn, D. A., & Patel, K. (2019). Suicide exposure in law enforcement officers. Suicide and life-threatening behavior, 49(5), 1281-1289. https://doi.org/10.1111/sltb.12516Links to an external site.
  2. This article is a sample styled study of police officers who have been affected by occupational exposure to suicide scenes in the course of their duties.
  3. The authors utilized open ended sample questions to guage the mental health outcomes of those officers who were exposed to suicide scenes and noted that the current literature has little historical research or understanding of police officer occupational exposure to suicide as most historical studies have been focused around other first responder demographics.
  4. This study was an attempt to bring to light the mental health struggles of officers who have been impacted by occupational exposure to suicide, noting suicidal ideation as one of those struggles along with PTSD, intrusive memories, and depression.
  5. Methods
  1. Design (approach) and Rationale
    1. Phenomenological
    2. A Phenomenological approach will allow meaningful insight and understanding of the lived experiences and perspectives of police officers who have contemplated suicide by uncovering unique insight through their subjective experiences of occupational exposure (Creswell & Poth, 2018).
  2. Site
    1. Participants homes (in person or via Zoom)
    2. Salem, Or area, within 100 miles of Salem, Or and North America
    3. Interviews will be conducted outside of any police station or affiliated police location. Interviews will be held in a quiet place with participants’ children out of earshot of conversation. The interview will be conducted on a day off and not any day that would require the officer to work in a police capacity.
    4. Participant can request a change of venue for the interview to an outside location, within a reasonable time frame, to ensure privacy and autonomy.
  3. Participants
    1. This study will include a range of 12-15 individual participants (Creswell & Poth, 2018) and each will be interviewed alone to maintain the subjective lived experience of the officer.
    2. Participants will be selected using the maximum diversity available in the field of policing. Participants of diverse gender, age, race, geographic location, and years of active policing will be utilized (Creswell & Poth, 2018) to capture a rounded understanding of the effects officers endure individually and to establish any commonalities between them.
    3. Participants must have a minimum of two years as an active police officer and others must have a minimum of ten years as an active police officer. At least one of the officers in each tenured category must me female and while race and age will not be a pre-requisite factor, there will be a goal of interviewing various ages and races.
  4. Role of Researcher or Personal biography
  5. Kelly Clark
  6. Clinical Crisis Counselor
  7. I am a retired police officer and police training officer who was part of my department crisis intervention team. I am married to a deputy from a different agency who is retired from policing as well due to a traumatic incident in a department that did not have the resources in place to assist him. Both my husband and I have endured occupational exposure to suicide, have been affected by depression and suicidal ideation, and both have lost friends who were law enforcement to suicide due to lack of resources and the stigma that surrounds officers seeking mental health assistance because of an existing stigma in the culture of law enforcement.
  8. I believe that culture plays a huge misfortune in the law enforcement community as my husband has survived three suicide attempts over the past and understand that, while his department was unprepared to provide him the assistance he needed, there are departments who have in place safeguards for officers who witness or who are involved in critical incidents such as suicide exposures. While my department had dedicated training to psychological survival, his did not, as many departments do not as a whole across the Nation.
  9. Data Collection
    1. Method 1- Interviews (questions included in Appendix B)
      1. Interviews with a small pool will last a minimum of one hour.
      2. Semi-structured Interviews will be conducted with the participants only.
      3. Interviews will be recorded and transcribed (Creswell & Poth, 2018).
    2. Method 2- Focus groups
      1. The focus group will be small (6-10) to allow for deep engagement with participants.
      2. Structured discussion guide with open ended questions and prompts for consistency.
      3. Data analysis plan implementation to identify patterns and common findings (Creswell & Poth, 2018).
    3. Method 3- Writing prompts
      1. A clear description of the culture and phenomena with open ended question provided.
      2. Each participant receives the exact same prompt for research integrity.
      3. All writing is confidential and non-identifiable.
      4. Writings are to be typed for autonomy as well as readability (Creswell & Poth, 2018).
    4. Data Analysis
      1. 1st Technique – open coding (Creswell & Poth, 2018)
        1. Study information received to aggregate for meaning.
        2. Seek out “core” phenomenon through axial coding.
        3. Use casual conditions and interviewing to declare outcomes of data and emerging themes.
      2. 2nd Technique – Bracketing (Creswell & Poth, 2018)
        1. Take information and compare it to emerging themes with expanding note-taking through journaling.
        2. This allows for multiple examinations of data to prevent personal biases from affecting collected data.
        3. Bracketing will validate my data throughout the process barring any personal thoughts or existing knowledge regarding the phenomenon.
      3. Trustworthiness
        1. 1st Technique – member checks (Creswell & Poth, 2018)
          1. Utilizes triangulation or having multiple additional people (colleagues) in interviews, information from surveys, and a post-interview questionnaire to increase the study's credibility through corroborating thoughts and assumptions.
          2. Triangulation is an ethical step to keep the data collected on track as well as grounded in common theme credibility (Creswell & Poth, 2018).
        2. 2nd Technique – audit ability (Creswell & Poth, 2018)
          1. The process of capturing and analyzing audio data for research such as audio recording, focus groups and interviews and then transcribing word for word the data obtained audibly (Creswell & Poth, 2018).
          2. This allows for themes to emerge, patterns to present themselves and specific words or quotes to be analyzed for interpretation (Creswell & Poth, 2018).
        3. 3rd Technique – reflexivity (Creswell & Poth, 2018)
          1. Used to inform others about the researcher’s background and how their lived experiences can impact the collected information as well as how that information is interpreted by the researcher (Creswell & Poth, 2018).
          2. It increases the trustworthiness of the collected data and, thus the credibility of the entire study by minimizing any personal biases during the study.
          3. Using a journal can be helpful in that is records my personal feeling about the data and can be used to prevent imposing my own personal judgement or perception when reviewing data.
        4. Ethical Considerations
          1. A potential issue with this research would be violating a “do no harm” by having officers’ re-live trauma. There could also be negative results from existing officers and their respective departments regarding fitness for duty.
          2. All participants must be voluntary and sign an informed consent prior to interviews or data collection of any type. As the interviewer, it will be my responsibility to ensure the data collection is done with the least amount of harm to the participant with safeguards in place for possible triggering episodes when discussing trauma exposure.
          3. All of the collected data, interviews and transcripts from participants will be secured with a passcode on my computer and a VPN will be used when outside of my personal home to prevent any hacking or leak of sensitive information.
          4. All participants will be identified utilizing a pseudonym and their true identity safeguarded with all emails being encrypted and sent with secure link on an outsourced survey platform.

References

Aldrich, R. S., & Cerel, J. (2020). Occupational suicide exposure and impact on mental health: Examining differences across helping professions. OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying, 85(1), 23–37. https://doi.org/10.1177/0030222820933019Links to an external site.

Bishopp, S. A., & Boots, D. P. (2014). General strain theory, exposure to violence, and suicide ideation among police officers: A gendered approach. Journal of Criminal Justice,

42(6), 538–548. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2014.09.007Links to an external site.

Cerel, J., Jones, B., Brown, M., Weisenhorn, D. A., & Patel, K. (2019). Suicide exposure in law enforcement officers. Suicide and life-threatening behavior, 49(5), 1281-1289. https://doi.org/10.1111/sltb.12516Links to an external site.

Craddock, T. B., & Telesco, G. (2022). Police stress and deleterious outcomes: Efforts towards improving police mental health. Journal of Police and Criminal

Psychology, 37(1), 173–182. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11896-021-09488-1Links to an external site.

Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). SAGE. https://read.amazon.com/?asin=B07C6K99N8&_encoding=UTF8&ref=dbs_p_ebk_r00_pbcb_rnvcrtLinks to an external site.Links to an external site.

English Standard Version Bible. (2016). ESV Online. https://www.biblegateway.com/Links to an external site.

Guerrero-Barona, E., Guerrero-Molina, M., Chambel, M. J., Moreno-Manso, J. M., BuesoIzquierdo, N., & Barbosa-Torres, C. (2021). Suicidal ideation and mental health: The moderating effect of coping strategies in the police force. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(15), 8149.

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18158149Links to an external site. Links to an external site.

Hofmann, L., Glaesmer, H., Przyrembel, M., & Wagner, B. (2021). An evaluation of a suicide prevention E-learning program for police officers (cops): Improvement in knowledge and competence. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12.

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.770277Links to an external site. Links to an external site.

Krishnan, N., Steene, L. M., Lewis, M., Marshall, D., & Ireland, J. L. (2022b). A systematic review of risk factors implicated in the suicide of police officers. Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, 37(4), 939–951. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11896-022-09539-1Links to an external site.

Lyra, R. L., McKenzie, S. K., Every-Palmer, S., & Jenkin, G. (2021). Occupational exposure to suicide: A review of research on the experiences of mental health professionals and first responders. PLOS ONE, 16(4). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0251038Links to an external site.

Lu, Y.-F., & Petersen, K. (2023). Effectiveness of psychological skills training for police personnel: A meta-analysis. Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 80(10), 590–

  1. https://doi.org/10.1136/oemed-2023-109117Links to an external site.

Merton, R. K. (2017). Social Theory and Social Structure. RAWAT.

Newell, C. J., Ricciardelli, R., Czarnuch, S. M., & Martin, K. (2021). Police staff and mental health: Barriers and recommendations for improving help-seeking. Police Practice and Research, 23(1), 111–124. https://doi.org/10.1080/15614263.2021.1979398Links to an external site.

Violanti, J. M., & Samuels, S. (2007). Under the blue shadow: Clinical and behavioral perspectives on police suicide. Charles C. Thomas.

Zhang, J. (2019). The strain theory of suicide. Journal of Pacific Rim Psychology, 13.

https://doi.org/10.1017/prp.2019.19Links to an external site.

Appendix A Timeline and Budget

December 2024—Finish coursework

February 2025 – Establish my committee and register for the dissertation course ($2000.00)

September 2025 – Defend proposal

November 2025 - Submit research plan to the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for approval.

January 2026 – Recruit participants for research and register for dissertation course ($2000.00)

April 2026 – Launch data collection for study

July 2026 – Launch data analysis

September 2026 – Complete study on research

Appendix B Interview Questions/Guide

Semi-Structured Interview

Participant Information

Name:

Age:

Date of Birth:

Race:

Participant Demographic

Year completed the police academy and field training:

Number of years active policing:

Names of any other special training certifications:

Size of department:

Geographical location of department:

Interview Questions

  1. If you could have any superpower in the world, what would it be and why?
  2. Would you describe the nature and extent of your occupational exposure to suicide incidents during your time as a police officer?
  3. Describe how you personally define suicidal ideation, and what are some common risk factors associated with it in the context of police officers?
    4. Would you share your thoughts on the potential impact of exposure to suicide incidents on the mental health and well-being of police officers?
    5. In your experience, what are some of the common coping mechanisms or strategies that police officers’ resort to when dealing with the emotional toll of occupational exposure to suicide?
    6. Describe how you perceive the level of support provided by your department or organization in addressing the psychological well-being of police officers who have been exposed to suicide incidents?
    7. Describe a specific instance where you felt particularly affected by a suicide incident and how it impacted your own mental health?
    8. Explain your perceptions regarding the stigma associated with seeking help or support for mental health concerns among police officers who have been exposed to suicide incidents?
    9. In your opinion, what are some potential barriers that prevent police officers from seeking mental health support after being exposed to suicide incidents?
    10. How do you think the culture within police departments or organizations can be improved to better support officers dealing with suicidal ideation and occupational exposure to suicide?
    11. Describe training or resources that have been provided to you or your colleagues to help cope with the emotional and psychological impact of exposure to suicide incidents?
    12. How do you feel about the current protocol or policies in place to address the mental health needs of police officers who have been exposed to suicide incidents?
    13. What are your thoughts on the role of peer support programs in assisting police officers dealing with suicidal ideation and occupational exposure to suicide?
    14. Would you describe personal experiences where the support of peer colleagues or supervisors has made a positive difference in your ability to cope with the emotional aftermath of suicide incidents?
    15. What are some potential strategies or interventions that you believe could be implemented to prevent or alleviate suicidal ideation among police officers with occupational exposure to suicide?
    16. Describe how you perceive the impact of societal attitudes towards police officers on their mental health, particularly when it comes to dealing with suicide incidents?
    17. Describe any personal beliefs or attitudes that you have developed towards suicide and mental health because of your experiences as a police officer?
    18. How do you think the public's perception of police officers would change if there was more awareness and understanding of the psychological challenges they face, including occupational exposure to suicide?
    19. In your opinion, what are some key components of a comprehensive mental health support system that should be in place for police officers dealing with suicidal ideation and occupational exposure to suicide?
    20. What are some suggestions or recommendations you may have for improving the overall well-being and mental health support available to police officers within your department?
    21. In conclusion, what is your message to other police officers who may be facing suicidal ideation or struggling with the emotional aftermath of occupational suicide exposure?

Appendix C:

Other Data Collection Procedures

  1. All participants will be contacted prior to the interview, focus group and any other data collection procedure to ensure they meet the exclusionary guidelines and confirm participation willingness.
  2. Confirm date and location of collection.
  3. Locations will be primarily via Zoom with secondary locations included and reasonable upon participants request date and time.
  4. Any location utilized will be private and adhering to confidentiality (Creswell & Poth, 2018).
  5. Written consent forms will be signed by all participants using a standard and approved consent form prior to any data collection (Creswell & Poth, 2018).
  6. A data collection form will be used to verify the participants as well as their personal demographic information of inclusion in the research.
  7. All interviews will be recorded with a recording back up device and all equipment for recording will be pre-tested to ensure it works properly (Creswell & Poth, 2018).
  8. Each interview is maintained in a secure location after being transcribed to maintain research integrity.

Appendix D Consent Form

Consent

Title of the Project: A Phenomenological Study of Suicidal Ideation in Police Officers with Occupational Exposure to Suicide

Principal Investigator: Kelly Clark

Invitation to be Part of a Research Study

You are invited to participate in a research study. To participate, you must be

  • Active police officer
  • Have experienced a suicide occupational exposure on duty
  • Have experienced adverse mental health effects of occupational exposure to suicide
  • Completed the basic police academy including classes regarding mental health and wellness on duty
  • Have had at least one suicidal ideation due to occupational suicide exposure

Taking part in this research project is voluntary.

Please take time to read this entire form and ask questions before deciding whether to take part in this research.

What is the study about and why is it being done?

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to explore and understand the experiences of suicidal ideation of police officers who, by occupation, have been exposed to suicide.

What will happen if you take part in this study?

If you agree to be in this study, I will ask you to do the following things:

  1. Complete a 60-minute interview. This interview will be audio recorded.
  2. Review any findings or statements made by the researcher for accuracy.
  3. Participate in a 60-90-minute focus group. This focus group will be audio and/or video recorded.
  4. Participate in a confidential and non-identifying writing prompt exercise that will be transcribed for accuracy.

How could you or others benefit from this study?

Participants should not expect to receive a direct benefit from taking part in this study.

Benefits to society include a better understanding suicidal ideation possibilities of police officers who have occupational exposure to suicide and suicide scenes. Possible recommendations given for any training or pre crisis rehearsal policies prior to graduating the police academy as well as reducing the stigma of mental health help throughout the officers career.

What risks might you experience from being in this study?

The risks involved in this study are moderate, which means they are dependent of the subjective reaction of the participant to the exposure identified and current mental health. To reduce risk, I will have clinical crisis counselors available for participants should the need arise.

In accordance with mandatory reporting requirements any information shared pertaining to child abuse, neglect, and possible harm to self of others will be reported to local authorities.

How will personal information be protected?

The records of this study will be kept private. Published reports will not include any information that will make it possible to identify a subject. Research records will be stored securely, and only the researcher will have access to the records.

  • Participant responses will be kept confidential using pseudonyms. Interviews will be conducted in a location that is private and secluded from peers, supervisors and the general public.
  • Data will be stored on a password-locked computer and may be used in future presentations. After three years, all electronic records will be deleted.
  • Interviews and focus groups will be audio and/or video-recorded and transcribed. Recordings will be stored on a password locked computer for three years and then erased. Only the researcher will have access to these recordings.
  • Confidentiality cannot be guaranteed in focus group settings. While discouraged, other members of the focus group may share what was discussed with persons outside of the group.

Is study participation voluntary?

Participation in this study is voluntary. Your decision whether or not to participate will not affect your current or future relations with Liberty University. If you decide to participate, you are free to not answer any question or withdraw at any time without affecting those relationships.

What should you do if you decide to withdraw from the study?

If you choose to withdraw from the study, please contact the researcher[s] at the email address/phone number included in the next paragraph. Should you choose to withdraw, data collected from you, apart from focus group data, will be destroyed immediately and will not be included in this study. Focus group data will not be destroyed, but your contributions to the focus group will not be included in the study if you choose to withdraw.

Whom do you contact if you have questions or concerns about the study?

The researcher conducting this study is Kelly Clark. You may ask any questions you have now. If you have questions later, you are encouraged to contact her at [email protected]. You may also contact the researcher’s faculty sponsor, Dr. J. Kasten, at [email protected].

Whom do you contact if you have questions about your rights as a research participant?

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this study and would like to talk to someone other than the researcher, you are encouraged to contact the Institutional Review Board, 1971 University Blvd., Green Hall Ste. 2845, Lynchburg, VA 24515 or email at [email protected].

Disclaimer: The Institutional Review Board (IRB) is tasked with ensuring that human subjects research will be conducted in an ethical manner as defined and required by federal regulations. The topics covered and viewpoints expressed or alluded to by student and faculty researchers are those of the researchers and do not necessarily reflect the official policies or positions of Liberty University.

Your Consent

By signing this document, you are agreeing to be in this study. Make sure you understand what the study is about before you sign. You will be given a copy of this document for your records. The researcher will keep a copy with the study records. If you have any questions about the study after you sign this document, you can contact the study team using the information provided above.

I have read and understood the above information. I have asked questions and have received answers. I consent to participate in the study.

The researcher has my permission to audio record and/or video record me as part of my participation in this study.

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Printed Subject Name

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Signature & Date