{"id":15,"date":"2026-05-12T18:03:14","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T18:03:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/patient-perspectives-on-pat\/?page_id=15"},"modified":"2026-06-03T19:19:33","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T19:19:33","slug":"participant-information-sheet","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/patient-perspectives-on-pat\/participant-information-sheet\/","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"

Back to study page<\/a><\/p>\n\n

Participant Information Sheet<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Researchers:  Dan Kirkland and Celia Morgan<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are being invited to take part in a research study. Before you decide if you wish to participate it is important for you to understand why the research is being done and what it will involve.  Please take time to read the following information carefully and discuss it with others if you wish.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ask us if there is anything that is not clear or if you would like more information.  Take time to decide whether you wish to take part. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you for reading this. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the purpose of this study?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This study is being conducted as part of a postgraduate student project at the University of Exeter. The aim of the study is to investigate whether therapists delivering psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) should have their own psychedelic experience in order to more effectively provide treatment. PAT has potential to enter mainstream UK healthcare over the coming years, currently there is no direct data on whether therapists are more effective if they have had their own psychedelic experience, and studies examining this are unlikely to be conducted due to the size and cost needed to show significant results. Whilst there are many reports on therapist views, there is limited evidence on patients\u2019 perspectives. We hope that this study will illuminate these important voices, helping to shape clinical training and guidelines in the UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why have I been approached?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You have been asked to take part because either: (a) you have experienced mental health difficulties (a formal diagnosis is not required) and could potentially be eligible for PAT as it becomes more widely available in the UK, or (b) you have previously undergone PAT in any setting – including clinical trials, private clinics, legal retreat centres, ceremonial settings, or private\/underground practice – and have valuable insights into the therapeutic process. Your perspectives are important in shaping how PAT therapists are trained and how treatment is delivered in the UK. To take part you must be over 18, reside in the UK, and have a good understanding of English.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do I have to take part?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It is completely up to you whether you take part in this study or not. If you do decide to take part, you will be asked to provide digital consent before completing the survey. You are then free to withdraw at any time, without reason. If you leave the survey before completion, your partial responses will still be saved. If you complete the survey, you will have the option to withdraw your responses via a tick box on the final page. Once submitted, survey responses cannot be withdrawn via the survey itself. However, if you enter the prize draw or register for a follow-up interview, your participant identifier will be temporarily linked to your contact details. During this period, you may request withdrawal of your survey responses by contacting the lead researcher at dk476@exeter.ac.uk. All linking data will be deleted after 1st August 2026, after which withdrawal will no longer be possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What happens if I take part?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Participation involves the completion of an online survey hosted on Qualtrics, which will take approximately 10\u201315 minutes. The survey will explore your perspectives on the therapist delivering PAT: what their clinical background should be, whether it is important that they have had their own psychedelic experience, and your views on different scenarios that may unfold as part of PAT treatment. We will also ask about your past experience of therapy, previous psychedelic use, and collect some basic demographic information such as your age, ethnicity, gender, and educational\/employment status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the end of the survey, you will be invited to opt in to a follow-up interview lasting approximately 30 minutes, and\/or enter a prize draw for \u00a3200. To do so, you will be directed to a separate form and asked to provide a contact email address. Your contact details will be stored separately from your survey responses. Please note that if you volunteer for an interview, the research team will use your participant identifier to review your survey responses in order to select participants with a diverse range of views and experiences. If you only enter the prize draw, your participant identifier will temporarily be linked to your email address in order to contact the prize draw winner. All linking data will be deleted after 1st August 2026, after which your survey responses will no longer be identifiable and withdrawal will no longer be possible. Not all interview volunteers will be selected. If you are selected, you will be provided with a separate interview participant information sheet. Prize draw winners will be contacted via email.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are the benefits of taking part?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We hope that your participation will help contribute to understanding whether therapists delivering PAT should have their own psychedelic experience in order to more effectively provide treatment, and may support shaping clinical training and guidelines in the UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are the potential risks of taking part?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The most significant risk to yourself as an individual is that of a breach of confidentiality or anonymity. The risk of this is low as all survey responses are anonymous – no identifying information is collected alongside your answers. If you choose to enter the prize draw or volunteer for an interview, your contact details will be collected via a separate form and stored separately from your survey responses. You may disclose previous illegal activity in the form of your own drug use, but this will remain confidential. The research team do not condone illicit substance use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some questions in this study ask about your mental health history, previous drug use, and your personal therapeutic experiences. While the survey is not designed to be distressing, reflecting on these topics may bring up difficult thoughts or feelings for some participants.\u00a0If you are concerned that participating may cause you significant distress, we advise that you do not take part. You are free to skip any question you are uncomfortable with. If participation does bring up any difficult feelings, please visit the Samaritans (www.samaritans.org<\/a>\u00a0\/ 116 123) for general emotional support. For difficulties specifically related to psychedelic experiences,\u00a0please visit ICEERS (https:\/\/www.iceers.org\/support-center-2<\/a>) or Fireside (https:\/\/firesideproject.org\/<\/a>) where free help is offered to individuals facing emotional difficulties following a challenging experience with psychedelics.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How will you use the information you collect from me?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Your survey responses will be analysed statistically (using SPSS) to look for patterns and differences between groups. Any written comments you provide will be read carefully and grouped into common themes to help us understand the reasons behind people’s answers (using Reflexive Thematic Analysis). The University of Exeter processes personal data for the purposes of carrying out research in the public interest. The University will endeavour to be transparent about its processing of your personal data, and this information sheet should provide a clear explanation of this. If you do have any queries about the University\u2019s processing of your personal data that cannot be resolved by contacting the research team, further information may be obtained from the University\u2019s Data Protection Officer by emailing\u202finformationgovernance@exeter.ac.uk<\/a>,\u202for at Information Governance University of Exeter<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How will you look after my data?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The information you provide will be treated as confidential and stored securely using a password-protected system at the University of Exeter. Data will be managed in accordance with GDPR and the Data Protection Act of 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Survey data will be collected via Qualtrics and stored on university-approved servers. Responses are anonymous and will contain no personally identifying information. Open-text responses will be reviewed and any identifying information voluntarily provided by participants will be redacted prior to analysis. Survey data will be accessible to the research team (Dan Kirkland and Celia Morgan) and will be deleted once the data has been analysed and the study has been published. Contact details collected via the separate prize draw and interview form will be stored as a separate project within Qualtrics, accessible only to the lead researcher (Dan Kirkland). All contact details and linking data will be retained until 1st August 2026 to allow for any data withdrawal requests, after which they will be permanently deleted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are your choices about how your information is used? <\/strong> <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You can stop being part of the study at any time, without giving a reason. You will have the option to withdraw your survey responses via a tick box at the end of the survey. Once submitted, survey responses cannot be withdrawn via the survey itself. However, if you enter the prize draw or register for a follow-up interview, you may request withdrawal by contacting the lead researcher at dk476@exeter.ac.uk while your participant identifier remains linked to your contact details. All linking data will be deleted after 1st August 2026, after which withdrawal will no longer be possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What will happen to the results of this study?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The results of this study will be written up in a journal format, for submission to the University of Exeter as part of the Psychedelics: Mind, Medicine and Culture MSc. The results of this study may also be published in a peer-reviewed journal. No identifiable data will be used in the publication. If you would like a copy of the published report, you can contact the lead researcher to obtain one.  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who is organising and funding this study?<\/strong> <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This study is being organised and funded by The University of Exeter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who has reviewed this study?<\/strong> <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This project has been reviewed by the Psychology Research Ethics Committee at the University of Exeter (Ethics Application ID: 12593264).  If you have any concerns about the conduct of the study, you may contact the Psychology Research Ethics Committee at psychologyethics@exeter.ac.uk<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Contact for any questions or requests regarding your participation in this research<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the event of queries or requests you may contact us using the following contact information:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dan Kirkland, dk476@exeter.ac.uk<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Celia Morgan, celia.morgan@exeter.ac.uk<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also contact the University Research Ethics and Governance Team if you wish to make a complaint or comment, please email cgr-reg@exeter.ac.uk<\/a>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you for your interest in this project.<\/p>\n\n

Proceed to survey<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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